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Las Cruces fire chief says MIH expansion limited by facility; council urges 911/988 coordination
Summary
Fire Chief Mike Daniels told the council the city's Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) and Light teams now respond to about half of relevant mental‑health calls and that lack of dedicated facility space and poor integration between 911 and 988 constrain expansion; councilors asked for clearer integration and noted grant and facility timelines.
Fire Chief Mike Daniels told the Las Cruces City Council on March 23 that the Fire Department’s Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) efforts and partnerships with police and community providers align with council priorities but are constrained by facility capacity and coordination challenges with crisis‑line systems.
Daniels said MIH and Light have been important for early‑intervention and follow‑up work but currently respond to only about 50% of the mental‑health calls that arise in the department’s service area. He cited lack of overnight housing and limited dedicated workspace — the MIH team currently operates out of cramped converted classrooms — as key barriers to expanding transport and 24/7 coverage.
The chief described efforts to coordinate crisis response across 911 and 988 systems, but he said the two systems do not integrate well in practice, creating gaps and handoff problems. "911 and 988 don't really communicate well," Daniels said; councilors and staff discussed options for improving triage and determining when a call should enter the 988 crisis pathway rather than a police response. Daniels added that crisis triage destinations are available and the department will transport directly to them when appropriate.
Councilor Harris asked whether facility funding and grants could address the barrier; Daniels said demolition and contracting work to build a new facility are moving forward and that historic‑preservation work is wrapping up. He said full expansion will depend on the facility coming online and on aligning staffing and operations with that space.
No formal decisions were made; the discussion highlighted the need to coordinate budgets, facility timelines and crisis‑line integration to expand MIH coverage.
