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New System For Emergency Response On Pajarito Mesa

Rita Daniels
The county is hopeful that a new emergency response system will improve response time for people on Pajarito Mesa.

People living on Pajarito Mesa may have an easier time getting help in the case of an emergency. That’s because Bernalillo County has a new system set up to serve the settlement west of Albuquerque.

For years first responders answering 9-1-1 calls from Pajarito Mesa have relied on landmarks to try and locate the crises.

That’s because none of the almost 200 homes there have legal addresses and the roads are mostly old ATV trails, according to Bernalillo County Commissioner Art De La Cruz. He is encouraging the mesa’s residents to register their homes.

“This program is completely voluntary but obviously, because of the potential for anything that might occur, we want to encourage families to sign up and get their structure identification plaque installed,” De La Cruz said.

People who live on the mesa are being told they can give their structure ID number to the emergency dispatcher in place of an address.

The county’s new system will map their location and inform sheriffs, fire fighters and paramedics of the best route to get there.    

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