Despite fiscal crisis, fire department does birthday celebrations

Chief says there are 3 to 10 requests weekly to participate in parades

The city of Santa Fe may be facing the worst budget shortfall in its history, but that isn’t stopping the fire department from participating in birthday parades during the pandemic.

Fire Chief Paul Babcock said Tuesday the fire department receives three to 10 requests weekly for firetrucks to lead birthday and graduation parades, which he said he allows if a requested site is within city limits and a fire engine is available.

“A lot of people call the fire department when there’s a need, like a 911 response,” he said. “As the fire chief, I want to have the people call the fire department for good things also. That’s why I allow stuff like this.”

Babcock said he didn’t know the cost of the parades. But he described it as minimal, saying the parade routes are usually close to a fire station.

“The fire department is really community driven or trying to be a participant of the community,” especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, which has put an end to most in-person celebrations.

Last week, a fire engine followed by three city-owned SUVs drove by the home of former Mayor Javier Gonzales’ mother, honking and waving to mark her 81st birthday.

Gonzales said in a tweet the 15-second drive-by from a firetruck housed five

“A lot of people call the fire department when there’s a need, like a 911 response. As the fire chief, I want to have the people call the fire department for good things also.” Fire Chief Paul Babcock

minutes from his mother’s residence “was a kind gesture on her birthday.”

“The visit had nothing to do with any ‘former’ status but the heart of [the Santa Fe Fire Department] to bring happiness to our citizens,” he wrote. “That should be celebrated!”

Kristine Mihelcic, the city’s constituent and council services director, said other cities have been allowing similar parades, including to mark graduations during the prohibitions on gatherings due to the pandemic. The Santa Fe Police Department is participating in the local parades, too, she said.

“This is a national thing,” Mihelcic said. “Fire departments and police departments across the country have been doing this for individuals, graduates, birthdays.”

Like Babcock, Mihelcic said public safety personnel participate in parades only when they’re not busy responding to a call.

“The services are held when we have downtime. Obviously, if there’s a fire or a call, our units aren’t going in that time,” Mihelcic said.

Santa Fe is facing a projected $100 million budget shortfall in the upcoming fiscal year, which city officials have said will require belt-tightening and possible service cuts.

Asked whether the fire department parades were a good use of taxpayer resources, Mayor Alan Webber said during a virtual news conference Tuesday he was unaware they were happening.

“I’m not tracking the fire parade, but I’ll ask the chief if there actually is an accounting for what that costs,” Webber said. “I don’t know. … I can’t find out whether it’s a cost or it’s essentially a negligible amount.”