9-1-1 To Go – Live Demo and Discussion at #MACoCon

August 22, 2022

Maryland Association of Counties Conduit Street

The MACo Summer Conference featured a unique demonstration of Next Generation 9-1-1 technology.

Maryland counties are leading the way in building a statewide Next Generation 9-1-1 system to equip public safety agencies and first responders with 21st-century tools and technology to protect residents and save lives. For the 9-1-1 community, the pandemic demonstrated the need to plan for alternate ways to work. Beyond providing access to significant next-generation functionality, the remote redundancy of a cloud-based NG911 system simplifies and bolsters operational continuity when an emergency event threatens a 9-1-1 center.

At this year’s MACo Summer Conference, the MACo Emergency Managers affiliate hosted a live demonstration of NG911 remote call-taking technology, which is critical for ensuring resiliency and redundancy for Maryland’s 24 county 9-1-1 centers. Attendees learned about this state-of-the-art technology and observed 9-1-1 specialists from several counties taking and dispatching calls from their jurisdictions while on-site at the conference.

Senator Cheryl Kagan, chair of the Commission to Advance Next Generation 9-1-1 Across Maryland, moderated a session detailing NG911 technology and Maryland’s progress toward statewide implementation. As a result of the Commission’s work, Maryland passed several laws to bolster the framework and resources to guide a successful statewide transition to NG911, enhancing public safety communications in Maryland and our local communities.

The session and demonstration took place on August 17, 2022, at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland.