Montgomery County committee approves $2.43 million to create Public Safety Joint Operations Center

Montgomery County’s Public Safety Committee on Jan. 28 approved a $2,430,000 supplemental appropriation to renovate an existing storage room at Public Safety Headquarters and create a Public Safety Joint Operations Center intended to colocate police, fire/rescue and emergency management analysts and supervisors.

Committee members moved and seconded a resolution to amend the FY 2530 capital improvements program and supplemental appropriation number 26-40 to the FY ’26 capital budget for the Montgomery County Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Public Safety Joint Operations Center in the amount of $2,430,000. Councilmember Lukey moved the measure, and another councilmember seconded; the chair indicated the committee expected a 3–0 approval and then adjourned this portion of the meeting.

Proponents said the JOC would bring together existing units — the real-time intelligence center, drone-as-first-responder unit, EMS transport disposition officer and the public alert and warning system — to enable unified command, resource tracking and system-wide overwatch. “This will bring together supervisors and analysts from police, fire and rescue, and emergency management and homeland security to ensure cross disciplinary coordination in response to emergency incidents at all times of the…