Otero County approves agreement for regional emergency communications authority
The proposed authority would administer dispatch and 911 services across Otero and Kiowa counties, but it will form only after all parties execute the agreement.
Otero County commissioners approved an agreement Sept. 14 to establish a regional emergency communications authority for Otero and Kiowa counties, advancing a plan for centralized dispatch. The county’s Sept. 14 minutes describe the approval as a first step and set Oct. 1, 2026, as the agreement’s effective date.
The agreement involves Otero and Kiowa counties; La Junta, Rocky Ford, Cheraw, Swink, Manzanola and Fowler; and the La Junta, Manzanola and Fowler rural fire protection districts. It authorizes the proposed authority to administer multi-county emergency communications and dispatch, including 911 and enhanced 911 service and warrant-information processing, the agreement says.
The authority forms when all parties execute the agreement. Otero County’s minutes say its board appointments begin Oct. 1 and name Commissioner Tim Knabenshue and Emergency Manager Danny Chavez as county representatives, with the sheriff serving by virtue of that office.
The agreement calls for an annual authority budget subject to approval and appropriation, but does not set Otero County’s contribution or a formula for its share.