PENNYSLVANIA — Four members of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) were recently recognized by Governor Josh Shapiro with the prestigious Governor’s Awards for Excellence. Charles (Bill) Shertzer, Raymond Marino, Christian Przybylek, and Timothy Elbertson received the accolades for their significant contributions to the planning, coordination, testing, and implementation of the innovative Next Generation 911 service (NG911) in Pennsylvania.
In 2022, the state’s 61 public safety answering points processed over 14 million calls for help. “Next Generation 911 provides them with the best tools and resources to continue to serve their communities today and into the future,” said PEMA Director Randy Padfield.
The team successfully migrated county 911 centers to the new NG911 system, using their comprehensive knowledge, experience, and management skills. They coordinated between county 911 professionals, GIS professionals, 911 phone system vendors, computer-aided dispatch system vendors, legacy 911 service providers, NG911 service providers, and telecommunications carriers.
Elbertson spearheaded PEMA’s outreach efforts, ensuring 911 system stakeholders and the public understood the essence of NG911, the necessity of the transition, and its impact. “The 911 system is the critical link between people who need help and the people who are trained to help,” Padfield added. “The PEMA team’s efforts were instrumental in ensuring each county’s successful migration to NG911 service.”
Pennsylvania’s NG911 system is unique, featuring a first-in-the-U.S., fully fiber-based, private Emergency Services Internet Protocol Network (ESInet) used to deliver 911 calls. The ESInet was built to support additional public safety applications such as computer-aided dispatch systems and radio, enabling public safety stakeholders at all government levels to increase interoperability and find cost and operational efficiencies.
The Governor’s Awards for Excellence acknowledge exemplary job performance or service reflecting initiative, leadership, innovation, and increased efficiency. Shertzer, Marino, Przybylek, and Elbertson are among 54 employees from eight agencies recognized by Governor Shapiro for their exceptional accomplishments in 2022.
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