The Tohatchi Field Office, Department of Emergency Medical Service, is part of the Division of Public Safety. The Tohatchi Field Office is located approximately 20 miles north of Gallup, New Mexico.
The Field Office provides emergency medical services tot he surrounding communities of Tohatchi (population 1,925), Coyote Canyon (population 896), Sheep Springs (population 802), Twin Lakes (population 2,187), Mexican Springs (population 1,290), Nashchitti (population 1,651) and to the high number of tourists traveling the highways and visiting the local recreational area.
The Tohatchi Field Office also provides coverage for the famous Highway 666, which is one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United States and known for the high volume of alcohol related motor vehicle crashes involving multiple fatalities. West of our office is forested terrain and it is most popular for summer recreation destination with numerous of lakes.
The Tohatchi Field Office operates twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The Office is located within the Tohatchi Community on Choos'gai and Manueloti drive adjacent to the Tohatchi Health Center. We are staffed with twelve personnel and two ambulances. The staff includes a supervisor, a clerk/typist, and the Emergency Medical Technicians (First Responders level to the Paramedic level). All pre hospital emergency transports and inter faculty are made to Gallup Indian Medical Center or Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital.
Pre hospital transport times are from thirty minute to one and half-hour depending on the location and the conditions of the roads. Other available public safety agencies are Navajo Nation Police, Tohatchi Youth Detention Officers, McKinley County Sheriff, New Mexico State Police, Choos'gai Volunteer Fire Department, Newcomb Volunteer Fire Department, Navajo Estates Volunteer Fire Department, Gallup Fire Department, and Tohatchi Health Center staff.
Our Tohatchi Field Office coverage extends to the east towards the community of Coyote Canyon (approximately 20 miles), to the north the community of Sheep Springs (approximately 15 miles), and the west side of the Chuska Mountains (approximately 20 miles). Included in the surrounding communities are several public schools, a boarding school, several chapter houses, several rehabilitation centers and several housing projects.
In addition to pre hospital response, the Tohatchi Field Office provides community public awareness and education presentations. Currently this office has five Certified CPR instructors. This office also provides monthly in-service training, held on the third Wednesday of each month, for New Mexico approved Continuing Education Units (CEU) to meet EMT re licensure requirements.
We extend an invitation to visit our office.