To the Mayor and Village Council members, 

We the undersigned have been informed of recent changes to the Questa Emergency Medical Services department that are concerning to the first responder community. We are concerned that the departure of Raynelle Cordova will negatively impact the residents of Questa and the communities that QEMS is the transporting agency for. It is our understanding that Raynelle refused a write up at which time the village considered her to have resigned. She has been invaluable to the EMS agencies of Taos county as a whole. The department has seen drastic growth and changes under her tenure. She has overseen a dynamic and growing roster in a location and time when other departments are struggling to hire or retain staff. Many staff members have specifically sought employment at this department, despite a lower hourly wage than other agencies in the Enchanted Circle.

As employees and volunteers, we are concerned that the Village is not appropriately valuing Raynelle as our leader. This department covers 1,000 square miles, and everyone living in that area. “Without the services provided by the Questa Ambulance, the 4,500 constituents would be waiting anywhere from 45 minutes to upwards of an hour for the emergency services from Taos to aid them in their time of crisis.”This decision could have far ranging consequences.

We are also concerned that if the village fails to retain Raynelle, the intervening time to find her replacement will cause unnecessary staffing difficulties, medication and supply issues, lapses in crucial administrative tasks, a loss of expertise at navigating the medico-legal nuances, and protracted response times. Raynelle is not just the EMS director. She is one of three paramedics on the roster, one of two certified billing personnel, an EMS instructor, a firefighter, fire instructor, fire chief, wildland program coordinator, grant writer, the ad hoc therapist to the department, is always willing to answer the phone or cover shifts for her employees, and deeply cares about this community in a way that an outside hire could not conceive. Simply put, there is no single person that can replace her. She is vitally important to this community, any replacement would be a disservice to your neighbors and constituents. 

Please, consider listening to Raynelle’s employees and compatriots in the first responder community. She has given blood, sweat and tears for each and everyone of us. We would be remiss if we did not voice our concerns about the gravity of the situation. We ask that every  attempt be made to retain her and repair the necessary relationships to continue the growth and success of this EMS service. 

Thank you for your time.