A new national report on emergency communications underscores the urgent need to modernize 9-1-1 systems — but in Maryland, counties are already leading the way, building a resilient, next-generation network to meet today’s public safety challenges.
The 2025 Pulse of 9-1-1 report, released by emergency technology firm Carbyne and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), highlights alarming trends — rising outages, cyberattacks, and infrastructure failures.
Nearly 90% of emergency call centers experienced a system outage over the past year, according to the report. Aging hardware and targeted telephony denial-of-service (TDoS) attacks — which flood 9-1-1 lines with fake calls to block legitimate ones — triggered most of these failures.
9-1-1 specialists also reported growing operational strain. For the first time, burnout surpassed hiring as the top concern for the workforce. Centers face high turnover, rising absenteeism, and a 22% failure rate in training. Roughly 70% of dispatchers report daily pre-shift stress, with reduced performance emerging as a common symptom.
Nationwide, counties bear the brunt of these challenges. Local 9-1-1 centers must manage growing call volumes, staff shortages, and cybersecurity risks, often without dedicated resources to support these efforts.
According to the report, more than half of the centers cited frequent system failures or overloads. Non-emergency calls now account for over half of the total volume in most centers, which reduces response efficiency and increases dispatcher strain.
There is some good news: emergency professionals are increasingly open to modern solutions. More than three-quarters of survey respondents said that technology can help alleviate staffing challenges, and over 85% expressed comfort with using artificial intelligence tools to manage call surges, detect high-risk situations, or streamline workflows.
Maryland Leads the Way on NG911
Maryland continues to set the national standard for modern emergency communications. The Commission to Advance Next Generation 9-1-1 — a 2018 MACo Legislative Initiative — brought together 9-1-1 directors, legislators, cybersecurity experts, and public safety stakeholders to update state law and the 9-1-1 financing system. Senator Cheryl Kagan chaired the Commission.
In 2019, the General Assembly enacted comprehensive legislation based on the Commission’s recommendations. Over the following years, lawmakers passed several additional laws to bolster the framework and resources guiding Maryland’s transition to Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911).
Together, these reforms provided counties with the flexibility and support needed to develop a secure, statewide NG911 system, enabling faster and more reliable emergency responses and enhancing public safety communications across Maryland.
Still, the national picture remains concerning. The report calls for more substantial investment and coordinated modernization to support frontline responders and protect communities. Federal funding for next-generation 9-1-1 remains excluded from the pending budget reconciliation bill in Congress.
Counties need sustained support to continue building resilient, secure, and modern 9-1-1 systems. MACo will continue to advocate for the tools and investments necessary to protect residents and maintain emergency readiness across Maryland.
Read the complete report for more information.
