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Washington County has been actively working to prepare for NEXTGEN 911. Joint monthly meetings between Washington County Emergency Communications Center and GIS staff members from both the City of Hagerstown and Washington County. Representatives from Washington County sit on the NG911 legislative committee which meets in Annapolis frequently. Emergency Communications Center participates in monthly NG911 conference calls between all counties and various other partners. Washington County is also looking at existing databases to ensure they are compatible with NG911 and coordinating with adjacent jurisdictions to ensure seamless integration. We are also fixing any gaps in data such as ensuring all apartment units are accounted for in their correct location and/or making sure common points of interest have location information.
What is NextGen 911?
NextGen 911 is an emergency communications infrastructure that will enable voice, text, and video for 911 communications. Using geographic information systems (GIS), NextGen 911 will help accurately route calls to 911 Call Centers.
How does NextGen 911 Help Our Community?
NextGen 911 will enable improved location accuracy that will allow emergency personnel to send help efficiently and effectively.
How Will NextGen 911 Impact County Citizens?
In order to improve Emergency Response, the Washington County Department of Planning & Zoning will be requesting the changing of several addresses throughout the county.
Watch Our NextGen 911 Video to Learn More
Examples of Address Errors
Addressed to Wrong Street
Emergency Personnel may end up searching for your residence on the wrong street, increasing the amount of time it takes them to reach you.
Odd/Even House Number on the Wrong Side of the Street
If your house is an odd number on the wrong side of the street it will be harder to locate.
Addressed Number out of Sequence with Surrounding Numbers
If your residence is out of sequence it will be harder to locate.
More Than 4 Structures Using a Private Lane or Lane Needs Named
Emergency Personnel will reach you faster by naming your lane.
Benefits of NextGen 911
NG911 systems are broadband enabled to allow PSAPs to receive bandwidth data from callers: images, video and sensor data in order to provide telecommunicators with unprecedented situational awareness, better informed decision making and help First Responders do their jobs more effectively while keeping them safer. A NG911 infrastructure is required to make this work.
NG911 systems are also IP-based, which means that PSAPs can be interconnected and share data or seamlessly and quickly transfer operations, to a neighboring PSAP when a disaster or an emergency renders it inoperable, inaccessible or uninhabitable.
NG911 systems rely on geospatial data to locate callers in an emergency, a far more accurate approach than what’s available with today’s 9-1-1 system. As a result of more accurate 9-1-1 caller location, fewer calls will be misrouted, saving precious time when every second matters. Emergency response will also arrive more quickly.
Questions?
Email us at [email protected] to help us direct your NextGen 911 questions to the right department.