Charlie Merow, Bernalillo's sole female firefighter/EMT, made her way from Regina, New Mexico, to the Bernalillo Fire Department. Known as "Dr. Charlie" to local kids, she appreciates community trust and the department's close-knit atmosphere.
Charlie Merow is the first and only female firefighter/EMT with the Town of Bernalillo Fire Department. Although she lives in Bernalillo, she was first a volunteer firefighter in Regina, New Mexico. Merow then became certified as a firefighter/EMT with Los Alamos County. With a degree in civil engineering and as a professional welder she became interested in firefighting when she helped battle a structure fire in Regina.
Charlie heard of an opening with the Bernalillo fire department and got the job six months ago. Happy not to have to commute to work any more, she also loves the great connection between the department and the people of Bernalillo. Through the Cops in the Park and the summer lunch program, both attended by firefighters, many children came to call her Dr. Charlie because she wore a stethoscope around her neck. She also exercises by jogging around town in full firefighting gear. The friendly townspeople often wave, offer her a ride, ask if she needs water, or ask if she needs help. In Bernalillo, those who have repeatedly called the department for emergency medical assistance have developed such trust in the emergency medical technicians that they refer family and friends to the department, often specifying the EMT, such as Charlie, that they should ask for.
Charlie likes it that the department teams are like a family, and that the departments in other parts of the county work together to back each other up in major fire and accident cases. Thank your local first responders!