From PIO Corey Dobridnia, Walton County Sheriff’s Office
Emergency response in Walton County is now faster, smarter, and more connected. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office is thrilled to announce the formal integration of the South Walton Fire District and the DeFuniak Springs Police Department into the county’s Simultaneous 911 Ringing System. The expansion aims to strengthen countywide emergency response coordination and enhance service for residents and visitors in Walton County.
So, how does this technology work? The Simultaneous 911 Ringing System routes emergency calls to multiple agencies at the same time based on where the call originates from. This allows for faster information sharing and streamlined dispatching, so emergency response is unified. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office serves as the county’s primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), meaning all 911 calls first enter through our agency. Under the simultaneous ringing model, calls will now ring to multiple agencies at once when appropriate, depending on the caller’s location. This collaborative approach improves situational awareness for responding agencies and reduces delays caused by transferring calls between dispatch centers.
“The project represents a significant step in modernizing emergency communications in Walton County,” said Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson. “By bringing SWFD and DFSPD fully into the simultaneous 911 environment, we’re ensuring that every second counts and that first responders have the information they need as quickly as possible.”
But this couldn’t have been accomplished without the help of multiple partners. Walton County Geographic Information Systems (GIS) supported this initiative by developing new mapping layers essential for determining which calls should ring to which agencies simultaneously. Over three months, extensive testing was done with dispatchers from all three agencies, along with technical partners such as Motorola and C1, formerly ConvergeOne. Although the system went live in July, officials from all involved agencies continue to refine processes to maximize efficiency and coordination.
South Walton Fire District and DeFuniak Springs Police Department officials echoed the importance of the integration and emphasized the benefits of enhanced coordination and reduced response times. “Developing this system included careful planning and forecasting to bolster Emergency Communications staffing levels specifically in South Walton Fire District’s jurisdiction,” said SWFD Fire Chief Ryan Crawford. “We prepared for the increase in our inbound 911 call volume while fostering collaborative operating procedures to reflect ‘Walton County 911’ as a team.
Ultimately, the agencies involved did the work to make this possible, but the true beneficiaries are the taxpayers who receive critical redundancy in their local 911 system.” “We’re a small community, and when someone calls 911, they deserve quick help from folks who know this area and care about the people in it,” said DeFuniak Springs Police Chief James Hurley. “Joining this system means we’re working shoulder to shoulder with our partners across the county to make sure no call gets delayed. It’s another way we’re looking out for our neighbors and doing everything we can to keep them safe.”
This unified system reflects ongoing efforts across Walton County to leverage technology and interagency partnerships to deliver the highest standard of emergency service. The implementation of simultaneous ringing aligns with broader countywide initiatives to strengthen public safety infrastructure and provide first responders with reliable, efficient communication tools. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office extends its appreciation to the dispatchers from all three agencies whose patience, dedication, and countless hours of hard work made this launch possible.
