County dispatch center operational

BERNALILLO — Sandoval County’s Public Safety Emergency Communications Center became operational July 1.

According to a release, the new center is the first large-scale dispatch center to be created in the state in more than 20 years and provides a second Public Safety Access Point in Sandoval County.

“The people of Sandoval County have improved public safety service and response as a result of this second PSAP. It provides Sandoval County residents and visitors outside of Rio Rancho with a dedicated 911 response that is tailored to the unique needs of small towns and rural communities,” County Manager Wayne Johnson said in the announcement.

In a collaborative effort among Sandoval County, the village of Corrales, the town of Bernalillo and the pueblo of Santa Ana, the PSAP is designed to respond to 911 calls requesting law enforcement and fire/emergency medical services to the county’s rural, tribal, and small towns and villages, according to the release.

Johnson stated 911 calls within Rio Rancho will continue to be answered by the Rio Rancho Dispatch Center, and the centers are designed to be mutually supportive.

The retrofitted 2,781-square-foot building, located in the Sandoval County Administration Complex, is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and a 26-member dispatch team that works around the clock all year.

The non-emergency phone number for the dispatch center is 505-898-7585.

The non-emergency Rio Rancho number will remain505-891-7226.