On April 14, 2025, Richmond County Emergency Services successfully conducted North Carolina’s first test of geo-spatial 9-1-1 call routing using a special event layer, ahead of the highly anticipated NASCAR race at Rockingham Speedway on April 18–19.
This innovative solution allows 9-1-1 calls made within the defined event boundary to be automatically routed to specific positions within Richmond County’s Public Safety Answering Point. Once active, this will enable emergency telecommunicators to quickly identify and prioritize calls originating from within the event area — separating them from standard county-wide 9-1-1 traffic.
“We are proud to support North Carolina’s PSAP modernization to meet the ever changing needs of its residents with NG9-1-1 technology,” said Mike Guerra director of NextGen 9-1-1 products, AT&T. “NG9-1-1 supports faster and more reliable emergency response services, including the ability to connect calls from specific locations to a predetermined response center, providing the most efficient access to help.”
The special event layer was created in anticipation of a significant influx of attendees and potential call volume, and supports event-specific emergency response teams, including dedicated law enforcement, fire, and EMS personnel on-site.
This marks the first implementation of geo-spatial special event call routing using North Carolina’s Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet), showcasing the practical application and promise of Next Generation 9-1-1 technologies. L.V. Pokey Harris, executive director of the NC 911 Board noted, “Richmond County set this as a goal several years ago and has made it happen. Now they’re setting the pace, showing how call routing even within the PSAP to an assigned telecommunicator can be a game changer when seconds count.”
Richmond County Emergency Services extends its gratitude to the NC 9-1-1 Board, NMAC, AT&T, Intrado, and GeoComm for their continued partnership and support in making this milestone possible. We are proud to lead the way in utilizing advanced 9-1-1 infrastructure to enhance public safety during large-scale events. This test is a testament to what’s possible when innovation meets collaboration.
This achievement not only advances 9-1-1 capabilities in Richmond County but also demonstrates the potential of NG9-1-1 statewide.
Teena Piccone, NC911 Board Chair and Secretary of Information Technology/State CIO applauded Richmond County saying, “Richmond County is proving how the ESInet can deliver precision and speed when it matters most — keeping people safe while the action is high, and the stakes are even higher.”
