Celebrating

Central Alarm

april 16, 2018

Noon - 2:00 pm
John Street Quarters
 Celebrating Central Alarm
12:00 P.M. – 12:15 P.M.
Arrival of Guests / Registration
12:15 P.M. – 12:30 P.M.
Opening Remarks
Welcome & Overview
Scott R. Campbell

Invocation
Deacon Charles Barnhart

Pledge of Allegiance - All

12:30 P.M. – 1:15 P.M.
Lunch
(Please ‘mingle’)

1:15 P.M. – 1:30 P.M.

Keynote Address
Commissioner Wantz

1:30 P.M. – 1:45 P.M.

Video
50 Years of Central Alarm

1:45 P.M. – 2:00 P.M.

Closing Remarks
Future Outlook – Scott R. Campbell
A Work of Thanks – Comm. Wantz

Benediction – Deacon Charles Barnhart

 In April 16, 1966, Carroll County ‘Central Alarm’
began operations.This state-of the-art facility was
established to standardize operations, reduce response time,
and greatly improve the efficiency to request emergency
assistance, including fire, rescue, emergency medical, and
law enforcement-related.

Establishing a standardized emergency telephone number,

connected to and only answered by dedicated individuals in
a single centralized facility, was a game changer.
This staff coordinated the subsequent dispatch of first
responders to these potential crises.
Obviously, such a significant achievement could not occur
overnight. This plan was made a reality by the forefathers of
today's Carroll County Emergency Communication Center.

continued

Oscar Baker

“It takes team work to build

a good foundation/
functional operation.”

-1-
Initially referred to as ‘Headquarters’, the establishment
of ‘Central Alarm’ in Carroll County was
the first of many major milestones reached in the pub-
lic safety / emergency communications realm. A number of
other monumental accomplishments were achieved in this
domain, as well.
The facility hosting ‘Central Alarm’ has changed dramati-
cally over the years, as has the location. First housed
on the second floor of the old Westminster Fire Station
(still located at 66 East Main Street), ‘Central Alarm’
has subsequently moved to new and improved quarters no
less than four times. Previously, this critically important
resource was housed in the lowest level of the Carroll
County Detention Center (pre-expansion), then relocated
to the basement of the County Office Building (post-expansion),
followed by a move to a bunker-style structure that was par-
tially underground. Finally, as of June, 2013, the third floor of a
robust, yet inconspicuous building was completely upgraded
to provide state-of-the-art amenities.
The county’s two-way radio communications capabilities also
changed over the years, Communications began with a very
basic, low band system that relied on a single transmit/rec-
eive site, and evolved to its current 11-site, 800 MHz, trunked,
digital, Phase 1 compliant radio system, officially placed in-
service on May 20, 2015. Between these two extremes,
the county placed its first 800 MHz radio system in service
in 1997. A trunked design based on analog technology, this
system was initially comprised of seven trunked sites; an eighth
tower was added to the system in the spring of 2006 to enhance
radio signal coverage.
A similar communications-related upgrade was established
during the winter of 2005-2006 when the county instituted
its new VHF (Very High Frequency) paging system. This
system was used to alert volunteer fire, rescue, and emergency
medical services personnel to respond to an emergency.
This new paging system, which is still in use today, operates

-2- continued
from every site included in the county’s radio system. The
previous system operated in the low band range and
utilized a single point of transmission.
.

Bob Cumberland “We were very fortunate that we got quality guys
to start the operation and they stuck with this. I mean Central’s
here to stay, we keep trying to improve it, so the people stay with

The staffing of Central Alarm was another area experiencing

significant changes. When first operational, Central Alarm
was staffed 24/7/365 by one ‘dispatcher’. Today, staffing
levels vary by time of day, ranging from five to seven personnel
on duty at any given time. Even the rotating shift structure
used to staff the Center has changed over the years; at one time
using three 8-hour shifts to cover a 24-hour period. Today’s
staffing model utilizes four teams of Emergency Commun-
ications personnel that work a rotating cycle of two 12-hour
shifts.
Although the county’s latest/current radio system was briefly
mentioned previously, a number of other significant achieve-
ments merit mention:

• Prior to the transition to the new digital radio system,

the county’s back-up capabilities, both radio system
-3- continued
 operations and the handling of 9-1-1 activity, were
primitive at best. Subsequently, the county now has
fully redundant back-up (alternate) resources that are
equivalent, if not equal, to its primary assets.

o Multiple means (both path and medium) to

connect with the radio system are in place.
o
o Existence of a state-of-the-art, fully capable
alternate Emergency Communications Cen-
ter to which operations can readily relocate if/
when necessary.

o Construction of a new microwave network

which is used to connect adjacent commun-
ications towers. The microwave network
constitutes a fully redundant loop with no
dead end stubs or drops; in addition, the
county owns and controls the entire
microwave network. This is another first for
the county.
continued

Bob Alexander “It’s a privilege to be a volunteer firefighter. We all

need to go into (ex. Central Alarm) together.”

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• Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Upgrade – Although
the county has used CAD for 30+ years, the Carroll
County Department of Public Safety, in coordina-
tion with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Carroll
County Volunteer Emergency Services Association,
and the Carroll County Department of Technology
Services replaced its existing CAD assets with a
new suite of enhanced applications. Accordingly,
on October 31, 2017, Carroll County initiated
a compilation of new CAD applications, both enha-
ncing existing operations, as well as establishing a
number of first-time functions.

A number of significant enhancements were included

in the CAD upgrade including, but not limited to...

o Established full ‘Mobile CAD’ for all Fire/

Rescue/EMS providers, as well as a majority
of the county’s law enforcement community
(CCSO, WPD, MPD, HPD, MAPD).

o Established, for the first time, a standardized,
countywide ‘Incident Report Writing’ and
‘Records Management’ application for both
the fire service and law enforcement.

continued

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There are more changes expected in the future. By the end
of 2018, “Text-to-911” should be in place in Carroll County,
and in one to three years , Carroll County is expected to
complete the transition to “Next Generation 9-1-1”.

“Next Generation 9-1-1” also called “Next Gen 9-1-1” and

“NG9-1-1", refers to a nationwide initiative, focused on up-
dating current 9-1-1 systems and service infrastructure, to
enhance emergency communications services available to
the public. The update is in recognition of an ever-growing
wireless mobile society.

In addition to a traditional phone call to reach 9-1-1, the NG9-

1-1 initiative also intends to enable the public to transmit inȬ
formation to 9-1-1 Centers (formally referred to as a PSAP, or
‘Public Safety Answering Point’) using a variety of additional
media. These may include, but aren’t necessarily limited to:
texts, images, video, and data.

Citizens that call Carroll County home, as well as the many

that choose to either work in or simply visit Carroll County,
are well served by the 9-1-1 resources currently available
to them. Carroll County is committed to ensuring its wireless
communications capabilities, along with the 9-1-1 services it
provides, remain reliable, dependable, professional, and
state-of-the-art.

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 TIMELINE
Carroll County Central Alarm
“From the beginning . . . until now”
- March, 1957 – Carroll County Fire Chiefs Assoc. holds first dis-
cussion regarding “advantages of a ‘Central Alarm’…”

- October, 1965 - Three (3) bids for equipping ‘Central Alarm’

reviewed.

- November, 1965 - ‘Central Alarm’ contract awarded to W. W.

Wright.

- April 16, 1966 – ‘Central Alarm’ is ON THE AIR! Located on 2nd

Floor of the old Westminster Fire Station, 66 E. Main Street,
downtown Westminster. Center staffed by one dispatcher,
24/7/365, and utilizes a single-site, low band radio system.

- December 1973 – ‘Central Alarm’ relocated to the lower level

of the Carroll County Detention Center, prior to expansion to
current configuration. Relocation included new two-position
consoles, as well as a wall-sized, electrified map that allows for
the tracking of activity throughout the county.

- December, 1983 – ‘Central Alarm’ relocated again, this time to

a brand new, 5,200 sq. ft. state-of-the-art structure located at
1345 Old Washington Road (now 50 Kate Wagner Road). This
site is also designated to become the first-ever ‘Carroll County
Fire Training Center’.

- January, 1984 – E 9-1-1 is placed in service in Carroll County; per-

sons seeking assistance in the event of an emergency no longer
need to remember and subsequently dial a seven-digit number
for help.

- July, 1997 – Having been relocated yet again, ‘Central Alarm’

(aka ‘Carroll’), now located in the lower level of the County Of-
fice Building, 225 N. Center St., Westminster, made the first-ev-
er transmission over the county’s brand new 800 MHz trunked
radio system. Based on analog technology, this new system
initially utilized seven (7) ‘trunked’ transmit/receive sites.
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- March 31, 2006 – In an effort to enhance the radio signal and
VHF paging system coverage in the northeast corner of the
county, an eighth transmit/receive site is added to the radio system.

- June, 2013 – ‘Central Alarm’ (‘Carroll’) is relocated one last

time, to state-of-the-art facilities located in New Windsor
(where it remains, today). This relocation is part of a much
more comprehensive plan involving the upgrade/transi-
tion of the county’s 800 MHz radio system to a digital platform.
Also, in June of 2013, the Board of County Commissioners
awarded a contract to Motorola Solutions to upgrade/transition
the county’s 800 MHz trunked radio system to a digital plat-
form. This project was allocated total funding of approximately
$14.7 million.

- May 20, 2015 – Transition to county’s new digital 800 MHz

trunked radio system is complete; system ‘goes live’. In addition
to expanding radio system operations to three (3) additional
communications towers (for a total of 11), the transition project
also included construction of a brand new alternate or ‘Back-
Up’ Emergency Communications Center (ECC) in the County
Office Building, in the old Primary Center. This allowed full ECC
operations to relocate to the alternate site in order to begin
using the digital radio system as well as allow the recently
established new primary site to be upgraded to the new digital
platform.

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 Carroll County
Volunteer Emergency Services Association
Co. 1 - Mt. Airy Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.
Co. 2 - Hampstead Vol. Fire Engine & Hose Co. No. 1, Inc.
Co. 3 - Westminster Fire Engine & Hose Co. No. 1, Inc.
Co. 4 - Manchester Hook & Ladder Co. No. 1, Inc.
Co. 5 - Taneytown Vol. Fire Co. No. 1, Inc.
Co. 6 - Pleasant Valley Community Fire Co.
Co. 7 - Lineboro Vol. Fire Dept., Inc.
Co. 8 - Union Bridge Fire Company, Inc.
Co. 9 - Reese & Community Vol. Fire Company
Co.10 - New Windsor Fire Engine & Hose Co. No. 1, Inc.
Co.11 - Harney Volunteer Fire Co., Inc.
Co.12 - Sykesville-Freedom District Fire Department
Co.13 - Gamber & Community Fire Company, Inc.
Co.14 - Winfield Community Volunteer Fire Dept., Inc.

Carroll County
Law Enforcement & Security Community
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office
Maryland State Police
Westminster Police Department
Hampstead Police Department
Manchester Police Department
Mt. Airy Police Department
Sykesville Police Department
Taneytown Police Department
McDaniel College Campus Police
Carroll Community College Campus Police
Carroll County Public Schools Security & Emer. Mgmt.
Baltimore Environmental Police
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 We sincerely thank the
Westminster Fire Engine & Hose Co. No. 1, Inc.
for their generous support of this event.

District #1 - Commissioner Stephen Wantz, Vice President

District #2 – Commissioner Richard Weaver, Secretary
District #3 – Commissioner Dennis Frazier, President
District #4 – Commissioner Richard Rothschild
District #5 – Commissioner Doug Howard