Teller County leaders respond to potential E911 changes

TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - Friday evening, the Teller County Board of County Commissioners raised concerns about the City of Colorado Springs’ request to end its participation in the El Paso-Teller County E911 Authority.

The City announced that plan on June 22. In El Paso County, the Cimarron Hills Fire Protection District has criticized the potential change, raising concerns about impacts to emergency funding and saying the plan was made “without any stakeholder input from any governmental leadership outside the City of Colorado Springs.”

Friday’s release from Teller County also highlighted a potential loss of funding, as well as arguing that Colorado Springs withdrawing from the E911 Authority would “fragment emergency response, delay communications, and create service gaps.”

They said the risk is especially high during wildfires and severe weather.

The Teller County Board of County Commissioners referenced budget challenges faced by the City of Colorado Springs and other communities in the region, but ended by calling on the City to “stand with regional partners and find solutions that strengthen our collective safety through the El Paso-Teller County E911 Authority.”

City leaders in Colorado Springs have argued that the change, starting in 2027, would improve efficiency and maximize the use of taxpayer funds.

The Teller County Commissioners will have a presser at 11 a.m. on Tuesday to discuss their concerns.