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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday that Washington and Monroe counties are the first in the state to fully implement Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1).

DeWine prioritized the statewide adoption of NG9-1-1 in his 2024-2025 Executive Budget citing the goal to enhance emergency response times and ultimately save lives.

“Every second counts when it comes to saving lives,” said DeWine. “Next Generation 9-1-1 improves emergency services efficiency, particularly in Ohio’s rural areas where reliable communication infrastructure is essential.”

NG9-1-1 technology offers citizens other communication options, such as text messaging, when contacting emergency services. Additionally, it enhances emergency management by minimizing call transfers between 9-1-1 centers through more accurate caller location identification using mobile phones.

Early data from Washington County demonstrates the new system’s benefits in areas with multiple 9-1-1 call centers. Between Dec. 18-22, 37% of calls were routed directly to the appropriate 9-1-1 center, reducing the need for call transfers.

Washington and Monroe counties will fully implement the NG9-1-1 program. Among Washington and Monroe, eight pilot counties will participate in the initial transition to NG9-1-1: Athens, Carroll, Champaign, Columbiana, Hardin, Harrison, Morgan, and Union counties.

Ohio’s Fiscal Year 2024-2025 operating budget allocated $46 million to cover NG9-1-1 infrastructure costs. The Ohio 9-1-1 Program Office, part of the Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS), facilitates communication on 9-1-1 matters among state, federal, regional, and local public safety officials and oversees the state’s long-term transition strategy to NG9-1-1.

“The leadership of the DeWine Administration has been instrumental in advancing this migration, and we are pleased to collaborate with our partners to bring Next Generation 9-1-1 to Ohio,” said DAS Director Kathleen C. Madden.

The statewide system is expected to be operational by this spring. Counties that have not yet transitioned to the new system will have five years to complete the migration.