Madrid Volunteer Fire District

The Madrid Fire District is situated in west central Santa Fe County and is responsible for providing fire and emergency medical services to the communities of Madrid, Golden and the surrounding area. One station located at #31 Firehouse Rd, close to the Mineshaft Tavern serves these communities. The district assists and receives aid from other agencies including, NM State Forestry, US Forest Service as well as several other Santa Fe County Districts.

In the earliest days of Madrid dynamite was the fire suppression method of choice. No attempt was made to actually put out a fire—water was too precious. The fuels ahead of the fire were eliminated and the fire burned itself out. Today's Fire Department has its beginnings in 1980 and in 1984 when the County and State formally recognized the Department. In 1994 the current station was constructed; since then two Class A pumper-tankers were added as well as a fully equipped brush truck and a rescue unit. Years of collaborative effort went into developing a hydrant system, which included turning an old mining cistern into a 100,000-gallon water storage cistern for fire suppression and placing a hydrant within 1000 feet of every residence in town.