IT MAY SEEM ODD THAT BERNALILLO COUNTY CONTRACTS OUT FOR SPANISH LANGUAGE 911 SERVICES WHEN THERE ARE PLENTY OF SPANISH SPEAKERS TO HIRE LOCALLY. IT CAME TO LIGHT AFTER A WOMAN WAS SHOT IN THE HEAD EARLIER THIS MONTH AND CALLED 911 FROM A SOUTH VALLEY RESTAURANT … ONLY TO FIND THE DISPATCHER COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HER AND NO OTHER SPANISH SPEAKER WAS ON DUTY.
COUNTY COMMISSIONER WAYNE JOHNSON TELLS US A LOCAL HIRE COULDN'T PROVIDE THE OTHER LANGUAGES SPOKEN HERE. HE SAYS THERE ARE PEOPLE IN ALBUQUERQUE'S INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT AND FROM COUNTRIES WHO SPEAK NEITHER ENGLISH NOR SPANISH.
JOHNSON SAYS THE STATE SETS UP THE SERVICES FOR 911 STATEWIDE. HE SAYS EVEN THOUGH THEY GOT A SPANISH SPEAKER ON LINE FOR THE INJURED WOMAN IN SHORTER TIME THAN FIRST REPORTED, THE STATE IS STILL LOOKING FOR A NEW CONTRACTER.
