Navajo County telecommunicators describe Next Generation 911 upgrades, staffing and resilience

On the podcast Shooting Straight, Navajo County Sheriff David Klaus and County Attorney Brad Carlisle interviewed Caitlin Montoya, communications supervisor and PSAP state administrator for Navajo and Apache counties, about Next Generation 911 upgrades, staffing and training for the county dispatch centers and steps taken to maintain service during outages.

Montoya said the county now uses Next Generation 911, which provides a caller's location and allows dispatchers to receive multimedia such as text messages and pictures. "We actually have Next Generation 911, which will provide the caller's location," Montoya said. "You are... also able to receive multimedia, so being text messaging or pictures, the dispatchers are able to receive that into the center." The technology, she added, reduces response times when callers cannot speak or are otherwise unable to describe their location.

The discussion matters because rural counties face unique communications challenges: incomplete cellular coverage, dependence on single internet or phone links, and multiagency…