SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Fort Huachuca has signed an agreement with the Southeastern Arizona Communications Center to provide part-time 911 and radio dispatch services to the military installation, filling gaps in coverage that currently exist on post.
The agreement was signed Thursday morning, the result of two years of negotiations between the garrison and SEACOM, which has served as a regional dispatch center for most of Cochise County for six years.
Fort Huachuca currently has 4 civilian dispatchers, a staffing level that sometimes leaves gaps in coverage. The new agreement would allow for 24/7 dispatch support.
Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels said the partnership strengthens coordination across the region.
"Now that we're sharing the same dispatch center, we're all in the same sheet of music, so this is community policing at its best."
Fort Huachuca Garrison Commander Dervan Hughes said the agreement addresses a critical need for the installation.
"We're really excited about this because this is going to ensure that we have professional, certified, and uninterrupted dispatch support to the garrison, which is something that is obviously very important not just for our mission, but also for the safety of our personnel."
Under the terms of the agreement, SEACOM will handle police, fire, and medical dispatch services for Fort Huachuca on a contract basis.
Tammie-Jo Wilkins, executive director of the Southeastern Arizona Communications Center, said the partnership reflects a community-wide standard that residents and personnel have come to rely on.
"We've built a standard across the entire community, and it's the expectation now of the community that we're doing things one certain way, and they know what to expect when they call 911."
No start date has been set for when SEACOM will begin handling Fort Huachuca's dispatch calls. Technology upgrades must first be completed on post before the transition can begin.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
