New Mexico Register / Volume XXXVII, Issue 21 / November 3,
2026
TITLE 10 PUBLIC
SAFETY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
CHAPTER 28 LAW
ENFORCEMENT STANDARDS AND TRAINING
PART 9 PUBLIC
SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATOR TRAINING
10.28.9.1 ISSUING
AGENCY: New Mexico Law Enforcement
Standards and Training Council, 4491 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507
[10.28.9.1
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.2 SCOPE:
All applicants and certified public
safety telecommunicators under the Public Safety Telecommunicator Training Act.
[10.28.9.2
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.3 STATUTORY
AUTHORITY: Subsection E of Section 29-7-4 NMSA
1978.
[10.28.9.3
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.4 DURATION:
Permanent
[10.28.9.4
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.5 EFFECTIVE
DATE: November 3, 2026, unless a later
date is cited at the end of a section.
[10.28.9.5
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.6 OBJECTIVE: The purpose of Part 9 is to
establish all guidelines for admission into academy, minimum training
standards, and certification for public safety telecommunicators.
[10.28.9.6
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.7 DEFINITIONS: [Reserved]
[10.28.9.7
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.8 QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TO THE ACADEMY:
A. Qualifications for public safety
telecommunicator admission: Applicants may be rejected for admission to the
academy or a regional satellite academy if, after investigation, it is
determined that the applicant does not meet the following criteria:
(1) Is a citizen or legal resident of the United States and has
reached the age of majority;
(2) Holds a United States high school diploma or its equivalent
from an accredited institution;
(3) Has not been convicted of or pleaded guilty to or entered a
plea of nolo contendere to any felony charge, or within the three-year period
immediately preceding their application, to any violation of any federal law or
state law or local ordinance relating to aggravated assault, theft, driving
while intoxicated, controlled substances or other crime involving moral
turpitude and has not been released or discharged under dishonorable conditions
from any of the armed forces of the United States.;
(4) Is found to be of good moral
character and has not committed any acts constituting dishonesty or fraud;
(5) Is found not to have committed any other acts which would be
grounds for denial, revocation, or suspension of certification.
(6) Has been examined by a certified technician and has no
uncorrected hearing loss in either ear greater than 25 dB at 500, 1000, 2000
Hz, and no more than a 20 dB loss in the better ear by audiometry, using
American National Standards Institute (ANSI 1969) standards.
B. Status: For applicants to the academy, the
director shall apprise applicants of their status and any deficiencies therein,
in writing, as soon as possible. For applicants to a regional satellite
academy, the regional satellite academy director shall inform the applicants of
their status and any deficiencies in writing as soon as possible. If an
applicant is denied admission, the written order shall include an explanation
of the specific facts and circumstances upon which the decision is based. An
applicant who disagrees with a decision regarding admission to the academy or a
regional satellite academy, for reasons other than failing to pass a medical
screening, may send a written request to the chair for consideration as a
Meeting Agenda Item.
[10.28.9.8
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.9 PUBLIC
SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATOR CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION (TCE);
A. Only students who graduate from the academy, an accredited
regional satellite academy, or an accredited certification-by-waiver program
will be eligible for the TCE.
(1) Students
will be allowed two opportunities in which to pass the TCE within one year from the date of completion of the satellite program.
(2) Students who fail the exam two times must attend the
academic portion of the certification by waiver of the previous training
program prior to taking the exam a third time.
(3) Students who fail the test three times will be
required to attend either the entire academy
or an entire regional satellite academy again.
B. If a student does not secure a public safety
telecommunicator position within one year from the date of passing the TCE,
they will be required to attend an accredited certification by waiver program
to obtain their certification.
C. Students who pass the TCE will be provided with a letter
from the director with their test score.
D. The
director shall submit an affidavit to the board attesting that the applicant
graduated from the academy, an accredited regional satellite academy, or an
accredited certification-by-waiver program; passed the TCE; and shall include
any concerns the director has regarding whether the applicant meets the
qualifications for certification under Section 29‑7C‑3 NMSA 1978.
[10.28.9.9
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.10 BASIC TRAINING: Basic training shall include distance-learning
training topics and contact training topics that the applicant must complete
before they graduate.
A. The
Standards and Training Council shall approve the minimum standards of training
for the academy. This curriculum shall also be the standard curriculum for all
regional satellite academies. The TCE is based on the standard curriculum
established by the council.
B. A topic of training shall be crisis management and
intervention; dealing with individuals who are experiencing mental health
issues; methods of de-escalation; peer-to-peer intervention; stress management;
racial sensitivity; reality-based situational training; and high-quality
telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation using the most current
nationally recognized emergency cardiovascular care guidelines. Training on high-quality telecommunicator
cardiopulmonary resuscitation shall include instruction on out-of-hospital
cardiac arrest protocols and compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation,
pursuant to Section 29-7C-4.1.
C. The academy is responsible for ensuring that the
curriculum is updated and includes current practices. The council may direct the academy to use outside experts to
develop this curriculum. The council may direct the academy to use outside
experts to update and maintain some or all of this curriculum.
[10.28.9.10
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.11 IN-SERVICE
TRAINING:
A. All New Mexico-certified public safety
telecommunicators shall receive a minimum of 20 hours of biennium training (every
other year). Each two-year in-service training cycle will begin on the first
day of the subsequent even-numbered year and conclude on the final day of the subsequent
odd-numbered year.
(1) A topic of training shall be crisis management and
intervention; dealing with individuals who are experiencing mental health
issues; methods of de-escalation; peer-to-peer intervention; stress management;
racial sensitivity; reality-based situational training; and high-quality
telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation using the most current
nationally recognized emergency cardiovascular care guidelines. Training on high-quality telecommunicator
cardiopulmonary resuscitation shall include instruction on out-of-hospital
cardiac arrest protocols and compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation,
pursuant to Section 29-7C-4.1.
(2) One hour of crisis management, including crisis
intervention, confrontation de-escalation practicum, and proper interaction
with persons with mental impairments training for each certified telecommunicator
during each two-year period, pursuant to Section 29-7C-7 NMSA 1978.
(3) Remaining training hours shall be in maintenance or advanced
training areas to meet the agency’s specific needs and abilities of the public
safety telecommunicator.
B. Training content and accreditation for in-service classes
(1) The council may expand annual or biennium
in-service training requirements as necessitated by changes to the law,
regulatory changes, or emerging professional standards. This additional
training may increase the biennium minimum standard for that individual time
period.
(2) The same
curriculum‑development procedures and timelines established in Subsection
A of 10.28.8.13 NMAC for law enforcement in-service training shall also apply
to required in‑service training for public safety telecommunicators,
including consultation requirements, curriculum development periods, and the
process for addressing urgent or critical training needs.
(3)
The academy is responsible for creating a standard
in-service curriculum for all required in-service classes to ensure that the
curriculum is in line with the standard basic public safety telecommunicator
training curriculum. This content shall be made available to all agencies six
months before the start of the in-service training cycle.
(4) An individual agency may create its
own in-service courses that add content to the standard in-service curriculum.
These courses must be accredited by the academy.
C. Required training may be received through the following
means.
(1) Where scheduling will allow, the academy will assign staff
to instruct the course at regional training sites.
(2) Curriculum may be developed by the academy and provided to
individual agencies for their own credentialed instructors to present to their public
safety telecommunicators, provided the instructor is qualified in the subject
matter.
(3) Individual agencies or private contractors may develop
curriculum for review and accreditation by the academy that meets the criteria
established by the council.
(4) The instructor can use any instructional modality,
including but not limited to in-person training, online training, or a hybrid
of in-person and online training, to teach a class, as long as the modality for
teaching a particular class is not specifically required in statute.
D. Implementation is to begin on January 1 of the first
even-numbered year of a training cycle.
E. Telecommunicators obtaining
certification within an even-numbered year will be required to obtain one-half
of the in-service training requirements. Telecommunicators obtaining
certification in an odd-numbered year will be required to meet the next
two-year in-service training requirement, which will take effect on January 1
of the succeeding even-numbered year. The in-service training requirements are
applicable in subsequent two-year cycles (one even-numbered year and the
subsequent odd-numbered year constitute a two-year cycle). Telecommunicators
transferring from one agency to another will carry with them the responsibility
for in-service training.
[10.28.9.11
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.12 CERTIFICATION BY WAIVER TRAINING PROGRAM: [RESERVED]
[10.28.9.12
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.13 REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-NEW MEXICO PUBLIC SAFETY
TELECOMMUNICATORS: [RESERVED]
[10.28.9.13
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.14 TELECOMMUNICATOR ADVANCED
CERTIFICATION: The academy
awards advanced certification credit for approved training beyond the basic
level. An applicant must submit a completed application packet containing
copies of all training certificates and other supporting documentation.
Applications should be submitted only after the required number of hours has
been accrued. Individual certificates will not be processed if they are not
attached to an application for a specific level of certification. Advanced
certifications are ranked from intermediate to executive and are only awarded
if the criteria for the previous level(s) of certification have been met.
A. Advanced certification criteria and
guidelines:
(1) Intermediate (minimum of 200 cumulative hours
required): two years’ experience, non-probationary status at time of
application, and 200 cumulative hours of advanced public safety
telecommunicator training (beyond basic and maintenance training).
(2) Advanced (minimum of 400 cumulative hours
required): four years’ experience, non-probationary status at time of
application, and 400 cumulative hours of advanced public safety
telecommunicator training or formal education (beyond basic and maintenance
training) approved by the director.
(3) First-line supervisor (minimum of 500 cumulative hours
required): must have held the title of shift supervisor, terminal agency
coordinator (TAC), or training officer with one year in rank and completion of
an academy-approved first-line supervisor course (40 hours minimum).
(4) Command (minimum of 700 cumulative hours
required): must have held the rank of deputy director, assistant supervisor,
terminal agency coordinator (TAC), 9-1-1 coordinator, or training coordinator
with one year in rank and 100 hours of management training or formal education
approved by the director.
(5) Executive (minimum of 800 cumulative hours required): must have held the
rank of director or deputy director with one year in rank, or held the title or
rank of regional manager or manager who reports directly to the department or
agency head and have one year in rank; and 200 cumulative hours of management
or administrative training or formal education approved by the director.
B. Criteria for cumulative credit calculations:
(1) Certificate criteria: The academy will accept certificates of completion for
credit toward an advanced certificate.
(2) College course credit: College courses will receive the credit ratio of 15
advanced certification
hours for each credit hour up to a maximum of 400 advanced hours. College
course credits apply only to advanced-level certification and above. Official
copies of college transcripts are required. Credit hours may be given only for
college courses that are law enforcement-related and approved by the director.
(3) Military course credit: Military advanced-level courses related to law enforcement
and approved by the director can be used for credit towards advanced level
certification and above at an hourly ratio of one-to-one. Training hours and
dates must be noted on the training certificate for credit or on an official
training transcript.
(4) In-service training: Academy-approved in-service training
will be accepted based upon the approved course hours. Mandated training
required to maintain public safety telecommunicator certification or instructor
certification will not be credited towards advanced certifications. Other
in-service training will be accepted only upon provided evidence that a test
was administered and passed, or a certificate of completion was issued.
(5) Rank requirements: Certificates at the first-line
supervisor level and above require that the prerequisite rank or title was held
for a minimum period of at least one year prior to the date of the application.
Documentation indicating date(s) of promotion must be included with the
application packet. Non-traditional rank designations will be reviewed for equivalency
to ranks designated for applicable certificates.
[10.28.9.14
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.15 PUBLIC
SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATOR REGISTRY REPORTING AND APPLICATIONS FOR
ADMISSION/CERTIFICATION
A. Reporting requirements
(1) Employment,
termination, resignation, or upon receipt of notice of conviction of any felony
charge or violation of any federal or state law or local ordinance relating to
aggravated assault, theft, driving while intoxicated, controlled substances, or
other crime involving moral turpitude of all public safety telecommunicators in
the state of New Mexico must be reported to the academy within 30 days of such
action.
(2) A public safety agency that operates within the state shall
submit a quarterly report to the director and the board on the status of each
telecommunicator. The reporting forms and submittal dates shall be
prescribed by the director, pursuant to Subsection A of Section 29-7C-8 NMSA
1978. Required reporting forms shall be established by the director.
(3) The director shall assist the board in maintaining a
roster of all certified public safety telecommunicators, pursuant to Subsection
B of Section 29-7C-8 NMSA 1978.
B. Application requirements
(1) An applicant for training or for certification, or
that applicant’s department, must submit the Agency Employment Action Form (LEA
82) to the academy within 30 days of the initial hire date for said applicant.
(2) Non-compliance with the 30-day employment action requirement
will result in assignment to class after completion of all other requirements
herein on a space-available basis only - no special consideration will be given
to the applicant, and the applicant must have his/her commission suspended if
he/she exceeds one year from the initial hire date.
(3) No applicant shall be admitted to the academy or
regional satellite academy after one year from the initial hire date unless the
applicant and the applicant’s chief, sheriff, or agency head certify:
(a) the
applicant was removed from duty as a public safety telecommunicator; and
(b) the agency will reinstate the public
safety telecommunicator based upon the applicant’s successful completion of the
basic public safety telecommunicator training course and certification by the board.
(4) The academy shall be notified of any change in the
medical or psychological condition of
an applicant prior to the applicant’s admission. If
the application is for a regional satellite academy, that regional satellite
academy shall be notified as well.
(5) Applicants who falsify any information on their application
for admission will not be
considered
for admission.
[10.28.9.15
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.16 FINGERPRINT CLEARANCE FOR ADMISSION: Fingerprint clearance requirements for public safety
telecommunicators shall be governed in the same manner as law enforcement
admission to the academy or a regional satellite academy as described in
Section 10.28.5.9 NMAC, FINGERPRINT
CLEARANCE FOR ADMISSION.
[10.28.9.16
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.17 RENEWAL OF CERTIFICATION AFTER ABSENCE:
A. If a New Mexico certified public safety telecommunicator
leaves the profession, is not employed as a public safety telecommunicator for
a period of time, and applies to return to service, the applicant shall satisfy
the following requirements.
(1) Applicants
must have graduated from a certified public safety telecommunicator training
academy that was comparable to or exceeded the standards of the programs of the
academy.
(2) Separation must be under honorable conditions.
(3) The public safety telecommunicator’s certification must not
be revoked or currently suspended by the board.
(4) Complete all other conditions required under the current
certification by waiver of basic training.
(5) When sponsored by an agency, complete any other requirements
imposed on applicants by that sponsoring agency.
B. In the event a certified public safety
telecommunicator in the state of New Mexico leaves their position for any
reason and is not employed full-time for a period of more than two years, the public
safety telecommunicator will be required to successfully complete the
certification by waiver program to renew the public safety telecommunicator’s
certification.
[10.28.9.17
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
10.28.9.18 IN-SERVICE TRAINING FOLLOWING SEPARATION FROM SERVICE: A
New Mexico certified public safety telecommunicator who has retired or
separated from a New Mexico agency may maintain their certification without
being required to attend a certification by waiver program, as long as they complete
annual in-service requirements for at least one of the years in the current two-year
in-service cycle, and fulfill the biennium in-service requirements for the
current in-service cycle, as established by the council, as long as their
certification has not been revoked or is not currently suspended by the board.
[10.28.9.18
NMAC - N, 11/3/2026]
History of 10.28.9 NMAC:
[RESERVED]