Cortez Communications Center

Communications Supervisor

Lori Johnson

970-565-8441

ljohnson@cortezco.gov

Mission Statement

The Cortez Communications Center strives to enhance the partnership between businesses, citizens, and public safety user agencies by providing responsive and professional services.

The Center

The Cortez Communications Center oversees communications related to public safety and emergency services in Montezuma County through services provided for eleven user agencies including the Cortez Police Department.

The center is equipped with progressive communications technology in order to maintain the User Agencies’ commitment to quality service.  The center has established the ability to Text to 911, although we get limited request for service through that avenue. 

Dispatchers are certified through the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, International (APCO ) as Basic Telecommunicator I and Emergency Medical Dispatchers.  We use APCO for our training officers and instructors as well.

User Agencies

We serve the following agencies:

More Information

Emergency Notification:

In conjunction with the Montezuma County Emergency Manager, the Cortez Police Department, the Montezuma County Sheriff's Office, and the Mancos Marshal's Office provide emergency and public notification through Nixle.com. This service provides emergency alerting through text messages to registered cell phones. Please visit the EVERBRIDGE site to register for this important service.  You must be registered to receive these alerts which include road closures, wildland fire updates, evacuation information, etc.


CORTEZ COMMUNICATIONS CENTER ANNUAL REPORT YEAR 2025

Communications Center (Dispatch)
The Cortez Communications Center operates as the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for the City of Cortez and provides emergency dispatch services for multiple law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical agencies throughout the region. The center is staffed and operated 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and serves as the critical link between the public and emergency responders.
In 2025, dispatchers handled 49,526 calls for service, representing an increase over the previous year. In addition, the Communications Center processed 76,955 incoming and outgoing telephone calls, including 14,456 emergency 911 calls, reflecting the continued demand placed on the center.
The Communications Center provided dispatch services for the following agencies:
•    Cortez Police Department
•    Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office
•    Mancos Marshal’s Office
•    Dolores County Sheriff’s Office
•    Mesa Verde National Park
•    Southwest Ambulance Service
•    Cortez Fire Protection District
•    Dolores Fire Protection District
•    Mancos Fire Protection District
•    Lewis–Arriola Fire Protection District
•    Pleasant View Fire Department
Despite staffing challenges common to communications centers nationwide, the center maintained continuous operations throughout the year. Recruitment efforts remained ongoing, and quality assurance evaluations were conducted regularly, with performance scores showing measurable improvement across telecommunicators.
Technology and Infrastructure
The Communications Center continued to focus on maintaining and improving system reliability and redundancy. Work progressed on upgrades to the primary computer-aided dispatch and call-handling systems, along with enhancements to network redundancy to reduce the risk of service interruption. Additional security improvements were implemented at communications towers and critical facilities in coordination with county and regional partners.
Training and Professional Development
Communications Center staff completed required training to maintain professional certifications and ensure compliance with national standards. Dispatchers participated in monthly APCO training sessions, emergency medical dispatch education, and specialized wellness and resilience training. Supervisory staff also attended advanced leadership and management courses to support effective center operations.
Through consistent training, infrastructure investment, and professional oversight, the Cortez Communications Center continues to provide reliable, high-quality emergency communications services to the community and partner agencies throughout the region.

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