When Bernalillo County firefighters respond to emergencies in the Sandia Mountains, they rely on radios to speak to one another, especially on the back side of the mountain. Problem is, BCFD confirms their radio repeater on the crest has been broken since December 21st after severe weather knocked over its antenna. Without it, the department says firefighters cannot reliably communicate with each other in areas they typically had radio service.
"Now they have to either go a little bit farther or broadcast a little bit sooner before they get to those spots, and you don't know where they are," said EMS Division Chief Mark Chavez. "So there's just been more repeating of transmissions back and forth."