Not sure if this is the right section to ask but I have a question about fire depts on indian reservations.  Earlier today I got a call from a friend out in New Mexico.  The smoke detectors were going off and she could not get them to reset.  The reservation police stopped by but they couldnt do much.  She called both of the reservation fire depts. and both told her unless there is fire or smoke they were not going to bother going out there.  I asked if she called 911 or called the stations directly.  She called the stations directly.  My question is are they dispatched out from the 911 dispatch?  Or do they have their own system?  Personally I think they should have went.  Thats part of the job description.  Not every call involves something burning.   Just looking for a bit of clarification on how they are dispatched and if calling 911 would have got her any further with them.

Thanks

Jason

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I live in NM but don't know enough about your friend's situation.
Most likely 911 is the method of dispatch, but this doesn't sound like an emergency. So it may be up to how nice your friend is in asking for non-emergency help.
(1) What type of detectors? (How old, AC, battery, AC w batt backup, hooked up together, CO detectors?)
(2) Private residence, business,or public facility like a school?

(3) What did she do to diagnose the problem? Change batteries, use vacuum or compressed air, replace detectors if more than about 8-10 years old?
(4) Was there a source of dust, change in weather, source of steam?
(5) What kind of fire service serves this part of the rez? Tribal, BIA, community, city, county? Professional or mostly or entirely volunteer? Do they have training, budget, insurance, staff, and policy to diagnose privately owned smoke alarms as a non-emergency service call? Or might it be a case of asking volunteers to take off time from work, drive to the fire station, bring an expensive rig out, and perhaps leave parts of the rez with delayed emergency response coverage?

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