Cobb County finishes transition to next-generation 911, adds video, text and faster caller location

Melissa Alterio, Cobb County's emergency communications director, said the county completed its transition in 2025 to next-generation 911 on an IP-based network called ESI Net and added a cloud phone system that supports text and live video for callers.

The move, Alterio said, shortens the time it takes a caller to connect to dispatch by "approximately 8 seconds" and improves location accuracy, an advance she contrasted with older analog systems. "Seconds save lives," she said.

Why it matters: Faster routing and better location data can speed the dispatch of fire, medical and police resources and improve outcomes in time-sensitive incidents. Alterio highlighted both everyday benefits and a recent rescue near the Chattahoochee where a caller's video helped responders choose equipment and reach an injured person more quickly.

The system also includes cloud-based features that provide transcription and translation without a separate third-party connection, Alterio said, and a public-awareness message she emphasized: "call if you can, text if you can't." She described how callers who cannot speak can still reach 911 by text and, in some cases, share live video that staff can relay to responding units.

Alterio said live video streams from callers are visible to the county's real-time crime center (RTCC) when appropriate; RTCC staff decide which streams merit attention. She also described built-in translation services intended to help non-English speakers access emergency help more directly.

Next steps and limits: Alterio framed the improvements as operational upgrades rather than changes in authority; she did not cite new legal requirements or funding sources during the interview. The account of the Chattahoochee rescue was presented as a recent operational example rather than a formal after-action report.