Ground is broken on emergency call center

Otero County officials broke ground on the Otero County Public Safety Answering Point Center Nov. 9 in Alamogordo.

The Center, also known as PSAP, will function as a hub for emergency calls for Otero County, the Village of Cloudcroft and the City of Alamogordo, providing 911 call coverage to the area.

The PSAP will also provide coverage for law enforcement, fire and ambulance for the communities within Otero County.

Otero County Sheriff David Black said the groundbreaking fulfilled one of the campaign promises he made: the creation of a consolidated communications center.

"Here, four years later, with the help from the local community and support of community leaders, this goal is on the road to becoming a reality," Black said at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Black said the center, which he described as state-of-the-art facility, would improve service by creating a "timely exchange of information."

"I am happy to be a part of a great consolidation project to better our emergency services throughout Otero County," said Trent Parker, project manager for Otero County.

Parker said that the construction of the center will be done in two phases.

Whitesands Construction, an Otero County-based company, was awarded the bid for the project at $939,000.

Parker said that the construction would be completed within 540 days or sometime in spring 2023.

Jessica Onsurez can be reached at jonsurez@gannett.com. Follow Jessica on Twitter at @JussGREAT.