This is your weekly news roundup, which takes a quick look at some developments in government, politics, education, environment and other topics across El Paso.
El Paso Fire Department Receives $4.4 Million Federal Grant
The El Paso Fire Department has been awarded more than $4.4 million in federal funding to help pay for additional positions and upgrade emergency response capabilities.
The department received $4.26 million to fund 21 new entry-level firefighter positions from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER, grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The SAFER grant will help the department meet National Fire Protection Association standards for emergency response times and staffing levels. The new firefighters will serve the planned Far East El Paso fire station which is anticipated to open in 2026, the city said in a news release.
The department’s Special Operations Division also received nearly $160,000 from a Border Zone grant to purchase specialized extrication equipment that supports complex rescue and border security operations.
That equipment will enhance EPFD’s ability to respond to incidents such as confined-space rescues, catastrophic vehicle accidents and high-speed pursuits, the city said in the news release.
El Pasoans Can Dispose of Unused Medication at Drop-Off Event
Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare is hosting two drop-off sites Saturday for unused prescription and over-the-counter drugs. The hospital group is organizing the event with Constable Louie Aguilar and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
Safe drug disposal reduces the risk of accidental poisoning and overdose, as well as abuse of and addiction to pain relievers. Nonmedical users obtain opioid pain relievers most frequently from friends and family, according to numerous studies.
Participants can bring their controlled and uncontrolled substances, over-the-counter medications, ointments, patches, creams, non-aerosol sprays, vials and pet medications to two Las Palmas Del Sol emergency centers. The event will not accept used needles and other sharp objects.
While this drug takeback takes place one day only, the DEA also lists year-round drop-off locations in El Paso online, which include CVS, Walgreens and Albertsons pharmacies.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25.
Where: Las Palmas Del Sol Emergency Center – West, 1535 Resler Drive; Las Palmas Del Sol Emergency Center – Horizon, 13401 Gateway Blvd. West
TTHEP Enrolls Most Students Ever in Fall 2024
Texas Tech Health El Paso reported its fall 2025 enrollment as 1,061 students and medical residents. This is a 6% increase from last year. It was the largest enrollment in the institution’s 12-year history. The university’s previous record was 997 students in fall 2024.
The university’s schools and their respective enrollment numbers are:
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, 505 (increased by 35 from last year)
Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing, 265 (increased by nine)
Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine, 239 (increased by 18)
Frederick Francis Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 52 (increased by two).
TTHEP’s Census Day was Oct. 15. Census Day is the official date when institutions determine the final enrollment numbers for the semester.
In September, the University of Texas at El Paso also reported a record fall enrollment of 26,297 students, which was a 5% increase from last year. El Paso Community College registered 25,612 students in fall 2025, which was a 2.5% jump from 2024. Its largest number of fall students was 40,798 in 2011.
El Paso County Commissioners Adopt Streamlined Fire Code
El Paso County Commissioners on Monday adopted an outdoor business order and county fire code that include civil fines up to $500 for violations in an effort to prevent another major fire such as the one at a Montana Vista recycling plant fire in September 2023.
The code will require outdoor businesses to get a license to operate and sets requirements for disposal of flammable liquids, fencing and for the safe arrangement of materials on properties. It also sets safety standards, standards of operation and enforcement throughout El Paso County.
The service districts will work with the El Paso County Attorney’s Office, Fire Marshal and El Paso County Public Works to ensure due process, consistent enforcement and addressing the removal of hazards.
The order and fire codes also allow the El Paso County Attorney’s Office to enforce the countywide fire-safety standards. Penalties include notices of violations, civil fines from $100 to $500 per day and pursuing injunctive relief against repeat or egregious offenders.
Jackie Butler
Adopting a countywide fire code was proposed by County Commissioner Jackie Butler.
“This is an important step towards protecting residents in unincorporated areas, including Montana Vista, which suffered the effects of the 2023 recycling plant fire. These measures are a result of years of research and collaboration to create a safer community for all El Pasoans,” Butler said in a news release Monday.
The fire at the recycling and scrap yard plant near Buffalo Bill Drive and Krag Street in Montana Vista in September 2023 drew the response of multiple fire departments and caused the evacuation of nearby residents.
The city in January adopted stricter regulations for its fire prevention code regulations for recycling plants and imposed fees to recoup costs associated with putting out fires that break out at them following a May 2024 three-alarm fire at a cardboard recycling facility in the Chamizal area at Paisano Drive and Coles Street.
Hanks High School Students to Donate Handmade Beanies to Cancer Patients
Hanks High School fashion design students plan to donate more than 200 pink handmade beanies to cancer patients and survivors receiving treatment at the Texas Tech Breast Care Clinic.
The clinic provides evaluation services and treatment for breast cancer. It also offers ongoing physical and mental health care services to cancer survivors through its Survivorship Program.
The students and their teacher, Rita Sanchez, will present the beanies to representatives of the clinic Friday.
The crochet beanies were designed to comfort cancer patients undergoing treatment and honor survivors.
Sun Metro to Eliminate, Change Routes
Sun Metro is planning to cut numerous bus routes throughout the city beginning next summer as part of its “Sun Metro Rising” initiative. The transit agency’s ultimate goal is to eliminate little-used or redundant routes, speed up service and eventually extend bus service into later hours of the day.
Sun Metro is eliminating at least 20 routes and 600 bus stops it says are little-used or already served by a different route. The idea is to reduce the number of times buses stop so they can operate more quickly, said Jerry DeMuro, deputy transit officer for Sun Metro.
Sun Metro listed the routes it plans to eliminate on its website.
“In the (route) reduction, we are making sure the coverage is still provided by other routes,” DeMuro told El Paso Matters.
Some of the changes include accelerating how quickly buses arrive at a stop, although the changes in frequency vary widely depending on the location. Within a couple of years, Sun Metro wants to fully reintroduce Sunday bus service that it curtailed during the pandemic, as well as extend the hours some bus routes operate to as late as 11 p.m.
Sun Metro plans to begin changing routes next June. And the city department is redirecting existing funding to implement the changes, DeMuro said.
“We don’t anticipate additional funding for implementation of Sun Metro Rising,” he said. “We are maintaining the same number of drivers, the same number of buses in a duration.”
Another big part of the Sun Metro Rising is an experiment with “micro-transit.”
Since Sun Metro plans to eliminate hundreds of bus stops, it wants to help residents avoid having to walk miles to the nearest Brio station, for example. So, the agency is piloting a program near Pebble Hills High School where residents can call Sun Metro or use its app to call a small van that would pick residents up at numerous locations in that area, such as schools or city parks, and take them to a transit hub.
DeMuro said the goal is for residents to have to wait no longer than 10 or 15 minutes to be picked up. He said the pilot program may run for around two years before Sun Metro expands the service citywide.
Beyond a micro-transit service, the agency eventually wants to extend the Montana Brio line further east to the Beast Urban Park.
“Our goal is to get Sun Metro Rising implemented, make sure we understand that it’s working the way we want it to, make any adjustments necessary,” DeMuro said, “and then embark on another initiative which then says, what else can we do?”
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