Montgomery County, MD, is enhancing its 911 communications with AT&T ESInet. The county recently joined others in the National Capital Region and selected the service from AT&T. The solution gives 911 call takers enhanced tools to speed their responsiveness and boost reliability to those in emergencies.

AT&T ESInet brings a smarter way to deliver 911 calls. Built on AT&T's network, the IP-based call routing service uses i3 standards from the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) to modernize decades-old 911 infrastructure. And in today's mobile environment, that's crucial.

"We're helping cities, counties and states across the country connect to the future of 911 communications through AT&T ESInet," said Brian Troup, vice president, AT&T Public Sector. "Montgomery County—and every county—deserves the latest in public safety to help protect their communities."

With AT&T ESInet, Montgomery County can:

• Provide more targeted response and help save time and improve outcomes. AT&T ESInet lets PSAPs manage how calls and text messages are routed to help ensure they reach the desired 911 agency. With location-based geospatial routing, public safety answering points (PSAPs) can quickly adjust their service boundaries to accommodate unforeseen situations.

• Handle unexpected call volumes. When calls spike, AT&T ESInet can automatically distribute calls to neighboring PSAPs, which can lead to improved 911 call management. In the future, this will make it easier for PSAPs to be more responsive to emergencies.

• Apply rules to support specific events such as political rallies or campus events. Using a highly secure, private network connection, PSAPs can set rules for how to route 911 voice calls and text messages. For example, a rule could be set to route all calls originating in a defined area directly to a special command post within a pre-defined event boundary. This gives first responders direct, on-site access to 911 callers.

• Maintain service during a natural or man-made disaster. Montgomery County will have access to call processing locations distributed throughout the country for backup support as needed.

• Improve incident awareness. In the future, Montgomery County PSAPs will be able to support pictures and videos sent via text message.

Learn more about support of public safety and AT&T ESInet here.