Agency or Department Name Here (for pda/handhelds)

Accomplishments for Core Goal #1 Interoperability

Interoperability
Under Governor O’Malley, the State has launched efforts to build a statewide radio system, a computer-aided dispatch/records management system (CAD/RMS), and a geographic information system (GIS) platform. These backbone systems will replace obsolete or non-existent systems for the State’s public safety agencies and will provide a statewide infrastructure available for local governments.  Following are key projects and accomplishments:

• Completed construction on the first region of Maryland FiRST, Maryland’s historic, state-of-the-art statewide interoperable radio system for first responders. Maryland FiRST (Maryland First Responders Interoperable Radio System Team) is a state of the art, P-25 compliant 700 MHz radio communications system that will eventually allow state and local first responders in every county in Maryland to have seamless radio interoperability with one another using a single radio which they carry to work daily. The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Police became the first State agency to transition its radio communications to the new system on October 15, 2012. Additional agencies--including the Maryland State Police’s JFK Barrack and Kent County police, fire and EMS services--are currently operating on Maryland FiRST. The initial phase of Maryland FiRST covers an area that includes more than one-third of the State’s population and two-thirds of its critical infrastructure. More than 1,350 digital radios have already been purchased for first responders in State agencies to operate on the first phase of Maryland FiRST; by the time Maryland FiRST is operating statewide in 2016, the State will have purchased more than 12,000 new radios. In partnership with the Maryland legislature, the State has secured an additional $35 million to begin construction of the system’s second phase on the Eastern Shore, which is expected to be completed in 2013 and provide seamless interoperability in an additional nine counties.

• Working in partnership with local jurisdictions and other mutual aid partners, Maryland FiRST is identifying and providing access to an unprecedented number of critical radio channels across agency and county lines. Using its old radio system, the MDTA Police previously had access to only three radio channels to manage their public safety operations and incident response. The new Maryland FiRST system, which MDTA Police began using on October 15, 2012, provides access to more than 700 individual state and local public safety radio talk groups through a single handheld radio. In addition to the improved interoperability, the new radios and radio system provide enhanced security, clarity, and range, as well as critical capabilities such as remotely adding new channels as needed.

• In partnership with local government, completed the last of five regional interoperable radio communication networks in 2012 that provide first responders with interoperable radio communications across county lines within their region and on Maryland’s waterways. While the statewide radio system is under construction, first responders in every county in Maryland are now connected to one of five regional systems that provide radio interoperability with the region. In July 2012, counties in Southern Maryland completed construction of the Southern Maryland Interoperable Emergency Communications (SMIEC) Network, joining the previously completed CMARC (Central Maryland Area Radio Communications), MESIN (Maryland Eastern Shore Interoperability Network), NCR (National Capital Region), and WAGIN (Washington Allegany Garrett Interoperability Network) systems. In September 2012, the State’s Natural Resources Police also completed deployment of TAC STACK, an interoperable radio communications system providing coverage across the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. TAC STACK allows communication between normally incompatible radio systems used by state, local, and federal agencies that operate on Maryland’s waterways. Together, these two interoperable communication tools provide the capability for first responders in any region of the state and on Maryland waterways to have access to interoperable radio channels during mutual aide incidents impacting multiple jurisdictions and agencies.

• Investing $35 million to build a state-of-the-art computer aided dispatch and records management (CAD/RMS) system for Maryland’s State law enforcement agencies and share real-time data on emergency service dispatches and critical records with local jurisdictions. Maryland State first responders currently use multiple dispatch systems that are not interoperable and are unable to share critical incident information across agencies. The new statewide system will provide an interoperable, modern, state-of-the-art system for the Maryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, Maryland Transit Administration Police, and Natural Resources Police and unify the multiple dispatch systems currently in use and for the first time, allow each agency to share real-time data on emergency calls. In addition, the statewide system’s use of modern records management software will allow for fast and accurate collection, storage, retrieval and sharing of vital records. The new system is expected to become operational in 2013 with the Maryland State Police as its first user.

• Developed an electrical power outage map for OSPREY, Maryland’s first-ever common operating platform (COP) that provides real-time data on emergencies to the public and first responders through an online map. In 2012 Maryland’s Department of Information Technology led an effort to develop a public-facing electric power outage map that provides near real-time updates on power outages across the State. During the peak of SuperStorm Sandy, more than 264,000 Maryland residents and visitors logged on to OSPREY to find information on power outages, emergency shelters, and flood zones. OSPREY also integrates different forms of information, including video from the State’s network of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, to allow users to obtain a multifaceted viewpoint of emerging events at a single site.