• Creating a tech-friendly culture requires mutual trust, open communication, and intentional rollout plans for new solutions.
• EOCs of the future are investing in real-time data integration systems, location-based intelligence platforms, and AI solutions that automate routine tasks.
• Emergency operations leaders must build strategic partnerships with tech vendors to get the most out of their platforms.

At the heart of every forward-thinking emergency operations center (EOC) — or any modern public safety hub, from real-time crime centers (RTCCs) to emergency communications centers (ECCs) — is forward-thinking tech. But before you can bring your organization's tech stack into the future, you need a strong foundation — starting with an open-minded, trusting culture, and the right vendor relationships.

Last month, Peregrine partnered with the University of Virginia Center for Public Safety and Justice to host the first EOC of the Future Conference, which gathered leaders from public safety, government agencies, and the private sector to discuss strategies for the future of emergency operations.

Much of the conference centered around emergency operations tech, including real-time and location-based intelligence, advanced data integration and analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI). The common denominator: These technologies streamline workflows, improve collaboration, and act as force multipliers for emergency operations teams.

Keep reading to learn how to take your public safety hub’s tech game to the next level.

Foster a tech-friendly culture

Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) Chief Information Officer Dave Fontneau described the process of building and creating buy-in for OCSD’s state-of-the-art real-time operations center (RTOC), which aims to proactively and continually innovate.

“The goal is that this facility continues to evolve over time,” Fontneau said, “and that it doesn’t do what historically we’ve done in policing with technology: We deploy a solution, and we wait until it breaks to replace it.”

When innovation is built into the culture of an emergency operations hub, the adoption of new technologies gets easier.

Tipi Brookins, chief of staff at the Washington, D.C. Office of Unified Communications (OUC), emphasized the importance of building trust by listening to employee feedback on new tech tools.

“You want to gather that feedback and see what they’re saying, the pros and the cons,” Brookins said. “We want them to trust us, allowing them to give feedback, allowing them to say what they need to say.”

When implementing new technologies that might evoke discomfort or resistance, such as AI tools, take an intentional, phased approach to the rollout, she said. Stay transparent about objectives and open to employee input along the way, but at the end of the day, don’t let fear of change get the best of you.

“We can’t be afraid of the unknown,” she said. “Be willing to be open, because you never know just what may work, what solutions may work for your agency.”

Invest in the right technologies

Once your agency has the culture in place, it’s time to bring in the actual tech — and the options are vast. Below we explore a few key technologies for modern integrated operations centers.

Real-time data integration systems

Real-time intelligence is changing the game, enabling personnel to work faster, smarter, and more efficiently.

Manatee County Emergency Management, for example, uses Peregrine to build integrated data dashboards that update in real time. The dashboards unify live precipitation data, weather forecasts, water gauge data, computer-aided dispatch (CAD) data, shelter occupancy data, power outage updates, and other critical information on a single platform, providing EOC personnel with a common operating picture during hurricanes and other severe weather events.

Manatee County Director of Public Safety Jodie Fiske said that before Peregrine, her agency was unable to monitor water levels across the county from a remote location.

“With live data, for the first time in Manatee County history, we are actually going to be able to monitor Lake Manatee from the EOC,” Fiske said. “We will be able to monitor the inflow, outflow, and the lake load.”

Location-based intelligence platforms

Real-time data integration becomes even more powerful when you can visualize your live data on a map. For example, Manatee County is working with Peregrine to enable live 911 call mapping.

By ingesting CAD data in real time and integrating that data in a Map, Peregrine will allow EOC personnel to see where 911 calls are coming from during emergency activations, indicating where residents have not evacuated. Hotspots on the map will tell search and rescue teams which areas to prioritize when they deploy.

Fiske said Peregrine’s real-time dashboards not only improve situational awareness during emergencies but also streamline reporting — including damage assessments, which directly impact recovery funds.

“All of this allowed us to actually target our damage assessments,” Fiske said. So after Hurricane Milton in 2024, “That meant that Manatee County was the first county given the major declaration from [the Federal Emergency Management Agency], and the first county to receive expedited funding.”

AI solutions to streamline workflows

Many public agencies are facing staffing shortages, shrinking budgets, and other resource constraints, leading to increased stress and burnout among personnel. At the OUC session, Brookins summed up the consequences simply: “Stress equals increased errors, and the customer service is just not going to be the best.”

However, emerging AI tools can streamline tedious workflows for employees to help combat burnout and human oversights. At her EOC of the Future session, Brookins discussed how AI could improve operations for OUC and other 911 and 311 call centers.

"It’s going to help to automate routine tasks, increase efficiency, and reduce errors, freeing up human employees to focus on more strategic and creative work,” Brookins said. “They’ll have time to work on more meaningful tasks, decreasing stress and leading to a healthier workplace.”

While AI should not answer 911 or 311 calls or replace humans in call centers, Brookins said, it could supplement human workers and ultimately improve services by:

• Automating call note entry and other routine tasks
• Integrating and organizing data
• Generating transcripts
• Translating languages
• Enhancing employee wellness by reducing workload

Granted, many public sector personnel might be resistant to or skeptical of AI tools. Brookins acknowledged several valid concerns — such as biases and data security issues — and advised that public agencies “start small” when implementing AI into their workflows.

“Start with the ‘why,’” she said. “Understand your objectives and identify how AI will achieve those goals. Identify the problem that you’re trying to solve.”

Build strong partnerships with tech vendors

For emergency management departments and other public agencies, expanding into new tech frontiers means forging new relationships with private tech companies. It’s critical to choose those relationships wisely by seeking strategic partners — not just vendors.

Fontneau said he interviews prospective tech vendors just as he would prospective candidates for employment at OCSD. He emphasized that agencies should prioritize companies that share in their mission and can become part of the team.

“These folks have ID cards. They have access to the facility,” Fontneau said of OCSD’s technology partners. “We give them office space, and that’s a true partnership. It’s really a win-win.”

Peregrine's deployment strategists embed with our partner agencies to understand each department's needs and help them make the most of the data systems they already use. Our mission is to build a lasting, trusting relationship with each of our customers — to learn and address their agencies’ unique challenges, priorities, and constraints so we can help them make their best decisions in the moments that matter.

Matt Melton, who heads business development and partnerships at Peregrine, put it best: “We need to be focused on the mission as much as you are, and we need to be focused on furthering your mission.”

Contact our team to learn how Peregrine’s advanced data analytics and integration platform can help bring your agency into the future.