Border town firefighters scramble to save migrants from extreme summer heat

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. — It’s a relatively quiet — and hot — afternoon at Sunland Park’s Fire Department Station 1. Some firefighters working the shift are prepping for dinner. Others are doing office work. Suddenly, a loud radio call blasts through the station’s speakers. “I think it’s going to be a female subject, possibly undocumented,” a female dispatcher says. Four firefighters rush to get ready, which includes loading ice into a cooler. The ice is essential — it’s used to lower the body temperature of someone in distress from extreme heat.

The men jump on two different trucks, and about 10 minutes later arrive at the scene where a woman sits, propped up against a stop sign and surrounded by neighbors and local police. “Señora! Señora!” Fire Captain Abraham Garcia shouts, kneeling in front of the 28-year-old woman and asking her in Spanish, “Where are you? What happened?” Another firefighter picks up her passport. It says her name is Julissa, and she’s from Ecuador. She isn’t responding to Garcia’s questions. Her eyes are open, but they are glazed. She’s lethargic, and her blood glucose level is high — a sign of dehydration. García suspects she’s pregnant.

Firefighters wrap her in a white sheet that had been soaked in ice water and continuously pour cold water over her head. Eventually, she’s put in an ambulance and transported to the hospital.