COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Colorado Springs city officials announced plans Monday to create a new Colorado Springs 911 Authority that would replace an existing regional structure.
Mayor Mobolade, Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez, Colorado Springs Fire Chief Randy Royal and other public safety leaders and elected officials made the announcement at a press conference on Monday.
- Watch the press conference in its entirety below:
The creation of the program is pending the approval of Colorado Springs City Council.
The proposed change will move Colorado Springs from the current El Paso-Teller County 911 (EPTC-911) Authority into a new Colorado Springs-specific authority in 2027.
The City of Colorado Springs says they will continue to work with regional partners and EPTC-911 to provide 911 non-emergency telephony service until a potential change is made.
“Public safety has been a defining priority of my administration from day one,” said Mayor Yemi Mobolade, "at its core, this decision is about strengthening services, maximizing the value of local dollars, and continue to build a safer Colorado Springs.
City leaders said the change will not impact response times or 911 operations. Police Chief Vasquez said the current 911 authority primarily provides training, quality assurance of 911 systems, and other services such as mapping software.
The city says EPTC-911 was established in 1989. The authority collects emergency telephone surcharge revenue and distributes it across El Paso and Teller counties in support of emergency telephone communications.
According to the city, they intend to continue working with EPTC-911 and other regional partners moving forward. They also say the proposed move aligns Colorado Springs with large cities in Colorado, including Pueblo, Denver and Aurora.
The city says Colorado Springs represents the majority of population and surcharge revenue within the EPTC-911 region, and the Colorado Springs 911 center, which is run by the city, processes 75% of all 911 calls in the region.
City leaders believe a city authority will provide a more sustainable structure for funding 911 and non-emergency telecommunications in Colorado Springs.
"It’s about bringing money into the city of Colorado Springs that belongs in Colorado Springs," Councilwoman Nancy Henjum said. The city did not have exact numbers during Monday's news conference but Colorado Springs Fire Deputy Chief Tim De Leon, who sits on the authority's board said Colorado Springs receives about 40 percent of the funding while making up 65 percent of the population.
The city says new public safety technology, including advanced body-worn cameras and Drone as First Responder systems, allow the Colorado Springs police and fire departments to respond to public safety emergencies more efficiently and effectively.
The new Colorado Springs 911 Authority will be funded by the current emergency telecommunications surcharges paid by Colorado Springs community members and business for almost 40 years. The city says it will not result in new surcharges for community members and businesses.
EPTC-911 released the following statement regarding the proposed change:
The El Paso-Teller County 9-1-1 Authority (Authority) has no comment as we review the information regarding the City of Colorado Springs decision to separate from the authority. The Authority was informed of the City of Colorado Springs' decision shortly before the press briefing.
The Authority's regularly scheduled Board meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 24, at 12:00 p.m. During that meeting, the board will discuss the matter and evaluate its potential impact. After those discussions and a clearer understanding of the implications, the Authority will provide a more comprehensive response.
Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell does not agree with the move, he said he learned of the city's plans on Monday as reporters reached out to him about it.
- Hear from Sheriff Mikesell below:
"I’m not even sure how we go forward with an authority at this point," Mikesell said, "I don't think it's gonna be better for anyone. I think it's gonna degrade systems in the future."
The city of Colorado Springs is facing a $31 million budget shortfall, Mikesell said he believes while the city is bringing the revenue in locally, it would prevent smaller agencies like Cripple Creek in Teller County from making upgrades to its systems through funding from the authority.
"Listen, it's great that you [Colorado Springs] want to fix your short-term shortfalls, but in the long term, you're gonna harm all of us altogether," Mikesell said.
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