COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – On Wednesday afternoon, El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal shared his thoughts about a 911 authority proposal announcement made by the City of Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs city officials announced plans to create a city-specific 911 authority, which they said would keep emergency communications funding focused on local public city safety needs.
The plan was unveiled by Mayor Yemi Mobolade, Police Chief Adrian Vasquez, Fire Chief Randy Royal and other city leaders during a news conference on Monday.
At this time, Colorado Springs is a part of the El Paso-Teller County 911 Authority. Sheriff Roybal said the El Paso-Teller County 911 Authority was established in 1989 and serves 10 municipalities, 23 fire protection districts and multiple military installations through six 911 call-taking and dispatch centers.
Sheriff Roybal said that the Sheriff’s Office and the 911 Authority’s relationship has never been stronger.
“Together, we have worked diligently to ensure the highest level of emergency communications services for our residents, first responders, and partner agencies,” he said.
As a testament to the collaboration, Sheriff Roybal said El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Bureau Chief Andrew James was elected Chairman of the Board.
“I look forward to his leadership and continued partnership as the El Paso-Teller County 911 Authority advances its critical mission of delivering quality public safety services to our community alongside the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office,” Roybal said.
According to Roybal, the 911 Authority provides services that go beyond answering emergency calls by supporting public safety operations through funding, quality assurance, training, information technology, GIS mapping, public education, Peak Alerts Emergency Notification System and regional interoperability, as well as providing a functional backup communication center.
He said all emergency crews also have the ability to speak to each other through radio systems, which Roybal said is a “capability which has proven essential for public safety during large-scale emergencies, such as the Waldo Canyon Fire and the Black Forest Fire.”
“The importance of coordinated emergency communications has been recognized nationwide since the tragedy of September 11, 2001, when interoperability challenges highlighted the need for unified communication systems among emergency responders,” Roybal said.
He said that the funding the 911 Authority receives has also allowed the sheriff’s office to not charge smaller agencies, such as Manitou Springs, Fountain and more.
“My Office remains committed to doing everything within our power to ensure uninterrupted, high-quality dispatch services for all our partners and the communities we collectively serve,” Roybal said. “I have spoken with the El Paso County Commissioners and Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell, and we remain aligned in our commitment to maintaining effective regional emergency communications and public safety coordination.”
Roybal says the office already submitted Colorado Open Records Act requests to seek information about authorizations, allotments and funding safeguarded by the El Paso-Teller County 911 Authority.
“As the duly elected Sheriff, I remain committed to transparency and will release the distribution of funds designated for my Office, the City of Colorado Springs, and Teller County, as provided by the El Paso-Teller County 911 Authority, to ensure transparency for our citizens in the coming days,” Roybal said.
Click here to read the full statement from Sheriff Roybal.
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