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Virginia Cities Unite for Enhanced 911 Response with CAD Integration

Virginia Beach, along with four neighboring jurisdictions, is set to implement a significant upgrade to its emergency response system. This fall, the cities of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and Suffolk will launch a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) integration project aimed at improving the efficiency of 911 responses. The initiative seeks to eliminate communication gaps that can delay help during critical moments.
The CAD integration will connect the dispatch systems of these cities, enabling dispatchers to share emergency call data seamlessly. This will allow for a more coordinated response when multiple jurisdictions are involved in an incident. At the heart of this project is a data exchange hub powered by CentralSquare, designed to act as middleware linking the CAD platforms of the participating cities.
Jada Lee, director of Emergency Communications and Citizen Services for Virginia Beach, highlighted the importance of this integration. “Before discovering this tool, we used to get calls more frequently from other jurisdictions that we would then have to transfer over to them, meaning now we’re in their queue, and the citizen is still having to wait,” she explained. With the new system, emergency calls can be processed and sent to the relevant agency almost instantly, reducing delays significantly.
The project builds on existing regional practices. Josh Nelson, Virginia Beach’s IT solutions manager, noted that the city already has automatic aid agreements with nearby jurisdictions. For example, if a house fire occurs near a city boundary, the current dispatch system can identify the closest engine, even if it belongs to another city. The CAD integration will enable this information to be acted upon automatically, addressing a critical gap in emergency response capabilities.
The journey to implement this CAD-to-CAD functionality has faced obstacles since Virginia Beach first sought it in 2018 when it adopted the Motorola PremierOne CAD system. Technical challenges and governance concerns delayed progress until 2021, when CentralSquare was selected as the vendor. The project required extensive collaboration among the jurisdictions, with funding concerns initially slowing down the implementation.
Now, the team is making headway. Nelson reported that cities are actively testing the hub and preparing for implementation within the next two weeks. The full launch is expected by fall 2023, demonstrating a commitment to improving emergency response across the region.
Strong Governance and Cybersecurity Focus
To support this technical advancement, a robust governance structure has been established. An executive board, consisting of fire chiefs from all five cities, is responsible for developing shared procedures. Additionally, steering and technical committees convene regularly to address daily operational decisions essential for the project’s success and longevity.
As the system moves towards implementation, cybersecurity and interoperability remain top priorities. The team is conducting threat modeling and vendor viability checks to ensure that any potential system compromises can be isolated, preventing them from affecting other jurisdictions. Nelson emphasized that successful emergency technology integrations rely as much on collaboration and stakeholder support as they do on infrastructure.
“If it doesn’t work for the people involved, then it doesn’t work for any of us,” he stated. This project represents not just a technological upgrade but an improvement in operational processes that can enhance public safety.
The urgency for such advancements in emergency response technology is amplified by ongoing staffing shortages in emergency communications centers nationwide. Lee noted that the need for efficient, tech-driven solutions is becoming increasingly critical. “Finding technology that helps us to still provide a quality service, but make it more efficient, is where most dispatch centers, especially larger dispatch centers, are moving to,” she added.
As Virginia Beach and its neighboring cities prepare to enhance their emergency response capabilities, the CAD integration project stands as a testament to the power of collaboration in addressing public safety challenges.
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