shiprock, new mexico may see construction of new emergency response center

For years, officials and residents of the town of Shiprock in northern New Mexico have wanted to see the establishment of a new emergency command center.

Because the San Juan River slices through the town, exactly where the new center might be built has been a matter of no little importance.

While a police station already exists at the intersection of US Route 491 and US Route 64 on the north side of the San Juan River, there have been concerns that it may be too far away to adequately respond to emergencies on the south side of the river.

Now, members of the New Mexico State Legislature have voted to approve up to $3 million in funding for the construction of what will be a multi-purpose command center to the south of the river.

As envisioned, the two-story center will include dispatch services, a police substation, and fire station, with the exterior of the structure featuring firetruck and ambulance bays.

As designed by the Albuquerque-based firm of Dyron Murphy Architects, the structure would also measure around 25,000 square feet.

It is expected that it will ultimately cost around $12 million to build the center, with funding coming from a variety of sources.

Shiprock, with a population of around 8,200 people, comprises the largest Navajo community in the Navajo Nation, some 30 miles to the west of Farmington.

The $3 million capital outlay funding for the new center is currently being reviewed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
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Altogether, state lawmakers approved more than $25 million in capital outlay funding for Navajo community projects.

​By Garry Boulard

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