City of Carlsbad receives $181K from State to improve emergency communication responses

Mike Smith, Carlsbad Current-Argus
·2 min read

Modernizing emergency services communications in Carlsbad continues as the Carlsbad City Council approved a $181,000 grant agreement with the State of New Mexico Tuesday night.

In a memorandum written to councilors, Carlsbad Police Chief Shane Skinner said the agreement was with the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration (NMDFA) Local Government Division via the Enhanced 911 Act.

“The 911 telephone emergency system is necessary to expand the benefits of the basic 911 emergency telephone number to achieve a faster response time which minimizes the loss of life and property,” he wrote in the memo.

More: Carlsbad Police get $101K grant from State for Enhanced 911 system

The New Mexico 911 Program was created to serve the public and protect New Mexico citizens to enable development, installation and operation of enhanced 911 emergency reporting systems operating under shared state and local government management and control, according to the NM911 website.

“An enhanced 911 emergency system routes emergency calls to a public safety answering point (PSAP) and provides immediate visual display of a location and phone number of a caller,” read the agreement between DFA and the City of Carlsbad.

The grant funds equipment upgrades, computer software, training and maintenance, cited the agreement.

The dispatch room is pictured, Jan. 9, 2020 at the Carlsbad Police Department.
The dispatch room is pictured, Jan. 9, 2020 at the Carlsbad Police Department.

“(Emergency) dispatch does a great job,” said Ward 2 Carlsbad City Councilor Jeff Forrest.

He said new technology is an asset in helping police officers, firefighters and medical paramedics reach an emergency scene quicker.

“It’s a win for Carlsbad and its residents,” Forrest said of the grant agreement.

More: Carlsbad's modernized emergency call system goes online under state grant

A Federal Communications Commission (FCC) website noted state and local authorities across the U.S. continue to expand 911 coverage and upgrade 911 services.

“Although there may be some counties that still do not have basic 911 services, wireless carriers can deliver 911 calls to the appropriate local emergency authority,” according to the website.

A provision of the 1999 federal Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act directed the FCC to make 911 the universal emergency number for all telephone services, per the FCC.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: City of Carlsbad gets $181K for 911 communications upgrades