Committee approves bill to require dispatch notification to state police for timely search‑and‑rescue response

The Senate committee advanced a bill that would require local dispatchers to notify the New Mexico State Police when calls meet criteria for search‑and‑rescue incidents, a change proponents said would speed the statewide activation of trained volunteer teams and reduce time to rescue.

Senator Peter Steinborn, sponsor of the search and rescue bill, told the committee the measure’s central requirement is simple: when dispatchers receive a report that qualifies for search and rescue — for example a lost or injured person in remote terrain — they must notify state police so the State Police can create a mission number and, when appropriate, dispatch volunteer SAR teams immediately. Current practice, sponsors said, sometimes results in delayed notifications and duplicated or late requests for assistance.

Bob Rogers, Search and Rescue Resource Officer for New Mexico State Police, testified the state program coordinates nearly 980 volunteers; he said volunteer numbers have declined and that delayed notifications have reduced the teams’ effectiveness. Multiple volunteer leaders described missions in which late notification hindered rescue efforts; several said people who might have survived had teams been dispatched earlier could not be reached in time.

The committee passed a committee substitute that added collaborative language clarifying tribal inclusion and expectations for state search‑and‑rescue assistance when local resources are not immediately available, and included a delayed implementation date to permit dispatcher training.

Senator Steinborn moved do‑pass on the committee substitute; the committee recorded the motion and later voted to report the substitute do pass. Supporters emphasized statewide coordination, implementation training for dispatch centers, and a formal communications loop between local agencies, the state police and volunteer teams.

The bill also drew testimony from multiple volunteer SAR team leaders who asked that volunteers be notified earlier and that the law not impede local response; the substitute contains language intended to preserve local authority while requiring notification to the statewide dispatcher so SAR teams can be activated without delay.