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Dolores County commissioners require ambulances to use Dove Creek dispatch when available after public testimony
Summary
After extended public comment about dispatch errors and coordination, Dolores County commissioners voted to amend county ambulance‑licensing rules to require ambulances operating in the Dove Creek area to use the Dove Creek dispatch center when it is accessible. Commissioners said they will work with local providers and an emergency services council to settle operational details.
On Jan. 20, 2026, the Dolores County Board of County Commissioners voted to amend a county ambulance‑licensing resolution to require ambulances operating in the Dove Creek area to use the Dove Creek dispatch center when that local dispatch is accessible.
The move followed more than two hours of public comment and presentations about recurring dispatch problems, delayed or missing pages, and incomplete location information. Damian, identified in the record as chief for the local ambulance district, asked commissioners to accept a multi‑page submission documenting incidents and communications spanning November 2024 through January 2026. “I respectfully request that these materials be read and reviewed by the board prior to the meeting and that this letter be read into the official record,” Damian told the board when he introduced the packet.
Speakers on both sides urged better coordination. Local responders, including volunteer and paid providers, said local dispatchers’ geographic knowledge matters when callers give incomplete addresses or hang up. “Do the members of your community not deserve around‑the‑clock EMD availability?” asked Carter Smith, who said he participates on a state EMS advisory council and cited state licensing timelines intended to give rural agencies time to comply with new rules.
Dispatch staff and others pushed back on parts of the ambulance district’s submission, saying some items contained inaccuracies and asking for a dedicated workshop to resolve disputed details. A dispatcher who spoke at the meeting said several of the reported incidents are recorded and can be reviewed at a February forum.
Commissioners framed their action as a narrowly written local requirement: the amendment requires ambulances operating in the Dove Creek area to utilize Dove Creek dispatch through an intergovernmental agreement when that local dispatch is accessible. During discussion, commissioners clarified the change does not force out‑of‑area agencies that cannot access the Dove Creek dispatch to change their routine when they respond into the county.
The board recorded a unanimous vote in favor of the amendment. Commissioners said the next steps will be to work with ambulance districts, dispatch staff and other providers to hammer out procedures and to strengthen the emergency services council as the venue for detailed operational fixes.
The board indicated further meetings and workshops will follow; DECAD (the Dove Creek Ambulance District) has scheduled local meetings to continue the public discussion.
