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Emergency communications and management outline tech upgrades, CERT outreach and 9‑1‑1 modernization
Summary
Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management described plans to modernize 9‑1‑1 and CAD systems, expand situational awareness capabilities, and scale volunteer Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) to increase resilience.
Leaders from Arlington County’s Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management (DPS CEM) briefed the County Board on a set of technology and preparedness initiatives aimed at modernizing 9‑1‑1 services, improving situational awareness and expanding volunteer resilience programs.
Director Flagler and staff described a strategy that blends investments in next‑generation 9‑1‑1, a new computer‑aided dispatch (CAD) system, and an expanded suite of public notification tools. The department said it had deployed Amazon Connect to divert non‑emergency requests away from 9‑1‑1 and was rolling out a text‑to‑9‑1‑1 capability that supports 72 languages. Next‑generation CAD and other upgrades were scheduled for implementation in mid‑to‑late 2025, the department said.
DPS CEM highlighted its situational awareness center build‑out, which will include staff who monitor threats, coordinate briefings and provide real‑time intelligence to first responders and decision makers. The unit also supported large planned events and emergency activations: the department played coordinating roles during the presidential inauguration, multiple snowstorms and the January 29 aircraft collision.
The department emphasized community engagement through the Community Emergency Response Team program (CERT) and a network called CART (Community Advancing Resilience and Readiness). CERT has roughly 360 volunteers and the department said it had trained hundreds in “until‑help‑arrives” skills such as CPR and bleeding control. DPS CEM said Arlington Alert subscriptions exceed 34,000 and that the team continues outreach to increase that coverage.
Budget material presented by DPS CEM included modest reductions tied to vacant positions, continued reliance on grants for special initiatives, and investments in mission‑critical technology. The department noted uncertainty about future federal grant availability and said it would continue to prioritize interoperability, technology modernization and community volunteer programs.
Board members commended the department’s volunteer training and situational work, asked for help boosting Arlington Alert signups and discussed contingencies should call volumes or staffing pressures rise.
