The Arlington County Public Safety, Communications & Emergency Management’s Emergency Communications Center (ECC) serves more than 240,000 residents and supports some of the United States’ most critical federal and military facilities. It handles more than 300,000 service calls annually and coordinates police, fire and EMS response across one of the most demanding operational environments in the National Capital Region, which includes multiple major Metrorail stations.
Driven by the need for a new approach to public safety technology, Arlington County embarked on a modernization initiative that included deploying Octave OnCall Dispatch (formerly HxGN OnCall Dispatch) in the cloud as part of a broader cloud-based public safety platform. With the transition from on-premises, server-based connections to a cloud-based model came understandable questions about ownership, troubleshooting and accountability.
We felt that the managed services was just a no-brainer for us.
We felt that the managed services was just a no-brainer for us.
The answer was Octave managed services. Arlington selected on-site support, gaining access to a dedicated Octave professional who worked directly alongside them throughout the CAD implementation and go-live, supporting a smooth transition to a cloud environment, providing 24/7 peace of mind. The embedded Octave systems administrator continues to support the ECC today, integrating like a full-time employee, providing product expertise, helping troubleshoot issues and serving as a trusted advisor.
As more public safety organizations evaluate cloud modernization initiatives, Arlington’s experience highlights the importance of pairing technology modernization with operational support. Dedicated expertise, trusted partnerships and ongoing guidance can help agencies navigate complex transitions while maintaining confidence in mission-critical systems.
