Title: Andrade v. City of Albuquerque
Citation: 395 P.2d 597, 74 N.M. 534
Docket Number: 7444
State: new-mexico
Issuer: new-mexico Supreme Court
Date: September 28, 1964

395 P.2d 597 (1964) 74 N.M. 534 Prudence ANDRADE, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. The CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE, the Gamewell Corporation and William Moore, Defendants-Appellees. No. 7444. Supreme Court of New Mexico. September 28, 1964. Lorenzo A. Chavez, Melvin L. Robins, Warren F. Reynolds, Joseph B. Zucht, Albuquerque, for appellant. Frank L. Horan, James L. Parmelee, Jr., Gerald Goodman, Albuquerque, for appellees. CHAVEZ, Justice. Appellant Prudence Andrade, plaintiff in the lower court, appeals from an order dismissing her complaint as to the city of Albuquerque. The order of dismissal was based upon the motion of defendant The City of Albuquerque, which alleged: The facts were stipulated by the parties as follows: Appellant submits three points upon which she relies for reversal: Appellant readily admits that should we find the city of Albuquerque, when constructing a fire alarm system, is acting in a governmental capacity, it would follow that her points two and three are without merit and her appeal will fail. We, therefore, restrict ourselves to the consideration of appellant's first point. Regarding the question of a fire department being a governmental function, in Gilbert v. New Mexico Const. Co., 39 N.M. 216, 44 P.2d 489, we said: The authorities are in almost universal accord with the above proposition that the maintenance and operation of a municipal fire department is a governmental function and that no municipal liability arises for negligence in connection therewith. McQuillin, Municipal Corporation, 3rd Ed., Vol. 18, § 53.52, p. 270; Anno. 84 A.L.R. 514. In O'Donnell v. Groton, 108 Conn. 622, 144 A. 468, the plaintiff, a welder, had been employed by the city to convert an old boiler into a compressed air tank for use in operating a fire alarm whistle. The conversion of the tank was done under the supervision of the chief of the water and electrical department. Upon the completion of the welding, but before acceptance by the city, *599 the tank was tested by putting in compressed air and, as a result of the negligence of the city, the tank exploded and injured plaintiff. In order to escape the perils of the doctrine of sovereign immunity, the plaintiff, as has appellant in the instant case, contended that while it was intended to convert the tank into a part of the alarm system, it had never in fact been installed or used as a part of the fire alarm system, and that he should recover. The court said: In Cathey v. City of Charlotte, 197 N.C. 309, 148 S.E. 426, the defendant city adopted an ordinance granting permission to the Southern Bell Telephone Company to erect, maintain and operate lines of telephone and telegraph, including the necessary poles, etc., upon, along and over the city streets. In consideration of the passage of the ordinance, the telephone company agreed to provide one cross-arm on each pole for the use of its police and fire alarm system. Later the telephone company installed one of its poles at a certain street intersection. The city then placed one of its electric wires on said pole, which was a part of the apparatus of the police and fire alarm system. Thereafter, pursuant to a request of the telephone company that it remove said wire, the city ordered plaintiff's intestate, an employee of the city, to remove the wire. While plaintiff's intestate was removing the wire, the pole broke and fell, causing the lineman to fall to the ground, resulting in his death. Suit was filed against the city and the telephone company. The telephone company filed a petition pursuant to an act of Congress for the removal of the action to the federal court, on the sole ground that upon the allegations of the complaint the city is not liable, in law, to the plaintiff, and that the complaint is against the Southern Bell Telephone Company alone. From the judgment ordering and directing that the action be removed for trial, plaintiff appealed. Regarding the fire department, the court said: In a recent case, Rake v. City of Tulsa, (Okl. 1962), 376 P.2d 261, a fireman, in the course of his duties, collided with the plaintiff at an intersection. Plaintiff contended that the duties of the fireman prevented the city from being immune, since the fireman was on routine inspection of *600 radios at the various stations and was not engaged in an emergency call. The court held against plaintiff, saying: Accordingly, we hold that the installation of a fire department electrical alarm system is included in the maintenance and operation of a fire department, and that such activities fall under the protection of the doctrine of sovereign immunity. Appellant cites Wagner v. City of Portland, 40 Or. 389, 60 P. 985, 67 P. 300, as authority for the proposition that the work of repairing a fire alarm system is ministerial in nature. We have considered that case to be against the weight of authority and is not persuasive. Appellant futher contends that, under the tests laid down in Barker v. City of Santa Fe, 47 N.M. 85, 136 P.2d 480, and Murphy v. City of Carlsbad, 66 N.M. 376, 348 P.2d 492, the installation of a fire alarm system is not governmental. We find this argument to be without merit as, under the third test laid down in the above cases, to-wit: the fire department is clearly a governmental function. In Barker v. City of Santa Fe, supra, and Murphy v. City of Carlsbad, supra, there was present either an immediate pecuniary benefit to the city, or an individual benefit to the property owners. In the instant case, the fire department protects every citizen in the city, regardless of the payment of a special assessment. Finding no error, the judgment is affirmed. It is so ordered. COMPTON, C.J., and CARMODY, J., concur.