“Taxing and hard.”That’s how Eagle Pass’s assistant fire chief and emergency operations director, Rodolfo Cardona, describes the past few months. “The toll it’s taken on first responders is incredible,” Cardona said. Firefighter William Dorsey has been with Eagle Pass for the last seven years. “Anything you can think of or see, someone has thought of it as they’re trying to get across,” Dorsey said. According to Eagle Pass, in December 2023, up to 2,000 migrants per day were trying to cross into the city illegally. That led to call volumes doubling for Eagle Pass first responders, who cover about 50 miles of border both inside and outside of town. Dorsey has story after story of tragedy and potential tragedy. He remembers responding to a 12-year-old girl in cardiac arrest. She’d just been pulled from the Rio Grande River. “Then we came back on shift Wednesday and unfortunately pulled her little brother out of the water,” he said. “He was deceased.” If they’re not crossing by river, some try to use the international rail line that goes through Eagle Pass from Mexico. Last summer, somebody called from inside a train car. “It was 110-112 degrees inside the car,” he said. “It was a beer car, so they were all covered in beer trying to keep themselves cool.” Eagle Pass first responders are trying to prioritize mental health. “If you’re not living it in the moment, you’re still living it because you’re talking about,” Dorsey said. “You have to check on the guys and girls and make sure they’re OK.” Cardona said the federal government hasn’t reached out to help Eagle Pass recoup the financial losses from the recent border crisis, but things are getting a lot better. “There’s a lot of loss that came with it,” he said. “But more importantly the loss of life that came during that time. It’s continuing but not in the high numbers it was before. These people risked everything.”He said crossings are now “sporadic” in the area and credits Texas state law enforcement and the various National Guard troops for helping curtail numbers. He said it’s a combination of new fencing and boots on the ground. “It’s made a significant difference,” he said. “We don’t see the influx and amount of migration we saw in 2023.”
“Taxing and hard.”
That’s how Eagle Pass’s assistant fire chief and emergency operations director, Rodolfo Cardona, describes the past few months.
“The toll it’s taken on first responders is incredible,” Cardona said.
Firefighter William Dorsey has been with Eagle Pass for the last seven years.
“Anything you can think of or see, someone has thought of it as they’re trying to get across,” Dorsey said.
According to Eagle Pass, in December 2023, up to 2,000 migrants per day were trying to cross into the city illegally.
That led to call volumes doubling for Eagle Pass first responders, who cover about 50 miles of border both inside and outside of town.
Dorsey has story after story of tragedy and potential tragedy. He remembers responding to a 12-year-old girl in cardiac arrest.
She’d just been pulled from the Rio Grande River.
“Then we came back on shift Wednesday and unfortunately pulled her little brother out of the water,” he said. “He was deceased.”
If they’re not crossing by river, some try to use the international rail line that goes through Eagle Pass from Mexico.
Last summer, somebody called from inside a train car.
“It was 110-112 degrees inside the car,” he said. “It was a beer car, so they were all covered in beer trying to keep themselves cool.”
Eagle Pass first responders are trying to prioritize mental health.
“If you’re not living it in the moment, you’re still living it because you’re talking about,” Dorsey said. “You have to check on the guys and girls and make sure they’re OK.”
Cardona said the federal government hasn’t reached out to help Eagle Pass recoup the financial losses from the recent border crisis, but things are getting a lot better.
“There’s a lot of loss that came with it,” he said. “But more importantly the loss of life that came during that time. It’s continuing but not in the high numbers it was before. These people risked everything.”
He said crossings are now “sporadic” in the area and credits Texas state law enforcement and the various National Guard troops for helping curtail numbers.
He said it’s a combination of new fencing and boots on the ground.
“It’s made a significant difference,” he said. “We don’t see the influx and amount of migration we saw in 2023.”
