Emergency dispatch center falling apart

VALENCIA COUNTY, NM - If Valencia County doesn't get some money soon, 911 response times could get longer, and the jobs of police officers, firefighters and EMT’s could get a lot harder.

The emergency system there is already falling apart, and now the county's on the clock to get it fixed.

The dispatch center has been dealing with broken and outdated equipment for years, but a federal mandate means it's almost time for an upgrade.

The problem is the county doesn't have the money.

“This is a nationwide mandate, so we all have to be ready,” Valencia County Dispatch Center Director Shirley Valdez said.

She’s talking about a digital upgrade in 2013, ordered after 9/11. It's supposed to make sure law enforcement agencies, fire departments and more are all able to talk to each other seamlessly.

Something the dispatch center can't do now.

The center serves Belen, Los Lunas, Bosque Farms, and Valencia County, and everyone is using hand-me-down equipment that's falling apart.

It's so bad, a Valencia County deputy told News 13, “We carry cell phones so we can do emergency communications with our dispatchers because our radios don't work.”

Valdez estimates it will cost 400 grand to upgrade the current system enough to just pass the 2013 requirement, and 4 to 5 million to replace it.
Each city told her they didn't have the money.

Valencia County commissioners decided Wednesday night to take it to the voters, and see if they will fund it.

“Our taxes already went up here,” one man told News 13.

Jeremias Silva said, “Not fair to the taxpayers.”

“It's difficult, it's a difficult time and we really don't want to go to the voters and ask them to pay for something but on the other hand it's emergency services,” Valdez explained.

For years the cities and county knew the upgrade was looming but told Valdez to keep putting it off, something that ticks off Silva.

“Put this on the back burner, that on the back burner, everything is always on the back burner, but it doesn't seem like their salaries are on the back burner.” He said.

If the county doesn't get an upgrade in three years, the dispatchers and emergency responders are afraid they'll have to ditch their radios for cell phones.

That means missed calls, dead zones, and only one person or department hearing what's going on at a time.

The issue will be on the November ballot in Valencia County.