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LAS CRUCES - Mayor Ken Miyagishima reiterated Monday that his plan to create a third level of emergency dispatch telephone service would be a small price to pay for public safety.

Miyagishima suggested that city government pick up the costs of installing four voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) lines, from Comcast, at the New Mexico State Police communications center, in southeast Las Cruces near the New Mexico State University Golf Course. His suggestion comes after the Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority (MVRDA) experienced two outages in telephone service that forced the emergency dispatch system to become inoperable on Dec. 14 and again on Dec. 27.

Hugo Costa, MVRDA director, said he is receptive to the idea, but also understands the costs that could be associated with it. He pointed out that VOIP lines could not be installed at MVRDA because the building is in downtown Las Cruces, and Comcast cable service is not available downtown. Costa estimated the cost of extending Comcast cable to MVRDA could run into the thousands of dollars.

"We don't have a third layer, and that's an expensive proposition," Costa said. "It comes down to the consideration of how far can we afford to plan. No one that I'm aware of has a tertiary

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program."

Costa added that the "political will has to go forward" in decisions like that. Councilor Dolores Connor, chairwoman of MVRDA's board of directors agreed, but pointed out that city of Las Cruces and Do-a Ana County governments have failed to fully fund the Joint Powers Agreement they've each entered into with MVRDA.

"There has to be a willingness to put something like this at the top of the list," Connor said. "...Whatever it takes, we should be willing to do it."

Miyagishima said he doesn't want to wait for governmental bureaucracy to slow down the process.

"I don't want to wait until Friday," Miyagishima said. "It's imperative we move fast and put something in place."

Steve Ramirez can be reached at (575) 541-5452

A backup for the backup

• City officials are interested in establishing a third layer of emergency dispatch service.

• The Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority experienced outages with its emergency dispatch service on Dec. 14 and Dec. 27.

• Establishing voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) telephone service at the New Mexico State Police communications center, in Las Cruces, is the desired plan.

• Mayor Ken Miyagishima estimated it would cost the city about $2,400 a year to create a backup system to MVRDA's existing backup emergency dispatch service.

• MVRDA's board of directors is also considering a satellite service that could be used if all other forms of telephone communications fail.

• A formal report of the outages will be presented Jan. 11 to the Do-a Ana County Board of Commissioners.