Game Ready: How Fulton County and CentralSquare Prepared 911 Operations for the World Cup

Few events test a communications center like the arrival of the World Cup. This summer, Atlanta will host eight FIFA World Cup matches from June 15 to July 15, including a semifinal. There will also be a month-long fan festival at Centennial Olympic Park, bringing crowds downtown before and after every match. For 911 agencies, an event like this means hundreds of thousands of extra visitors, more medical and crowd-management calls, higher security needs, and no room for error.

Fulton County Emergency Services manages most of the region’s 911 calls and dispatches for the sheriff’s office and marshals, covering almost every major event. Instead of relying only on more staff for the World Cup, the agency spent months before the tournament updating its operations with CentralSquare’s Public Safety Suite and ONESolution CAD. This way, as calls increase, the right responder can reach the right place more quickly.

Case Study: Building a Surge Ready 911 Center

The team wanted to be ready long before the first match. By working with CentralSquare, Fulton County rebuilt its communications center to be stronger, more reliable, and faster.

The county improved its 911 backup center, added a backup Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) connection, and set up a second recording system. These changes eliminated weak points that could shut down operations at critical times. They also connected CAD with RapidSOS, so dispatchers can see exact caller locations and device data right on their screens. This means someone calling from a busy stadium or fan zone can be found in seconds.

“When everyone is watching, you only get one chance to answer a call. We made sure every part of this center has backup systems, so 911 works just as well during our busiest times as it does when things are quiet,”

said Chris Sweigart, Director of the Department of Emergency Services, Fulton County Emergency Services. “That reliability lets our team focus on the situation, not the equipment.”

Field Intelligence for Responding Units

The World Cup brings together many partner agencies, and working together smoothly is key to a coordinated response. Fulton County dispatches for 26 agencies, all coordinated through CentralSquare, with radio support and dedicated communications across the region.

Fulton County Sheriffs and Police units use two CentralSquare apps to provide critical information before arriving on scene. FirstTwo offers instant scene context from CentralSquare’s CAD, including incident history and hazard flags, for quick review in vehicles. Freedom connects deputies and officers with 911 dispatchers and updates on ongoing events, used by all 26 agencies to maintain a real-time regional view.

Faster Response When Seconds Count

When seconds matter, the connection between field units and dispatch is crucial. The Freedom app keeps deputies and officers in real-time contact with 911 dispatchers, providing updated information as situations unfold. During crowded events, this direct link allows responders to quickly be redirected, reinforced, or guided to the nearest access point, reducing response times. The county is expanding these capabilities with PulsePoint, which alerts trained responders to cardiac events, starting with South Fulton. As call volume shifts, CAD helps manage operations, and dispatch is extended to partners like Morehouse College and Hapeville, with increased staffing for areas with high crowds.

A Permanent Investment, Not an Event Fix

The World Cup leaves Atlanta on July 15, but these capabilities remain. Modernizing 911 technology with real-time location, data tools, and connecting agencies via CentralSquare made Fulton County ready for the surge. Each upgrade is a lasting investment serving residents beyond the final match.

“The World Cup set a deadline for us, but our mission has always been to serve Fulton County every day,” said Division Chief William Orgertrice, Fulton County Emergency Services.

“Working with CentralSquare helped us make improvements that will keep our community safe long after the games are over. We’re proud to be prepared, and even prouder of what that means for Fulton County.”

Part of a Bigger Picture

Fulton County’s work is one chapter in a national story. CentralSquare technology supports public safety agencies in 12 of the 16 World Cup host cities, with more than 50 law enforcement, fire, and EMS agencies running its CAD, RMS, Mobile, 911, and interoperability systems during the tournament. In California, the Highway Patrol uses CAD Mobile to cover both the Los Angeles and San Francisco markets across 19 matches. In Toronto, the Ontario Ministry of Health coordinates EMS through CentralSquare’s CAD and C2C interoperability. And on July 19, agencies running CentralSquare technology will secure the World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium, with New Jersey State Police dispatching on CAD and EMS coordinating through Unify.

It’s the kind of work that never appears on TV. It shows up at 2 a.m. when dispatchers manage crowd surges, paramedics require real-time routing, and agencies across counties communicate efficiently. That is Hero Grade software doing its job, so millions of fans never have to think about it.