# Public Safety (GPS)

## Title 1. Definitions; General Provisions

### Subtitle 3. 9-1-1 Emergency Telephone System

#### Section 1-301

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.

(b) "Board" means the Maryland 9-1-1 Board.

(c) "Commercial mobile radio service" or "CMRS" means mobile telecommunications service that is:

  (1) provided for profit with the intent of receiving compensation or monetary gain;

  (2) an interconnected, two-way voice service; and

  (3) available to the public.

(d) "Commercial mobile radio service provider" or "CMRS provider" means a person authorized by the Federal Communications Commission to provide CMRS in the State.

(e) "County 9-1-1 fee" means the fee imposed by a county in accordance with Sec. 1-311 of this subtitle.

(f) "County plan" means a plan for a 9-1-1 system or enhanced 9-1-1 system, or an amendment to the plan, developed by a county or several counties together under this subtitle.

(g)

  (1) "Customer" means:

    (i) the person that contracts with a home service provider for CMRS; or

    (ii) the end user of the CMRS if the end user of the CMRS is not the contracting party.

  (2) "Customer" does not include:

    (i) a reseller of CMRS; or

    (ii) a serving carrier under an arrangement to serve the customer outside the home service provider's licensed service area.

(h) "Enhanced 9-1-1 system" means a 9-1-1 system that provides:

  (1) automatic number identification;

  (2) automatic location identification; and

  (3) any other technological advancements that the Board requires.

(i) "FCC order" means an order issued by the Federal Communications Commission under proceedings regarding the compatibility of enhanced 9-1-1 systems and delivery of wireless enhanced 9-1-1 service.

(j)

  (1) "First responder" means an employee of a State or local public safety agency that provides emergency response services.

  (2) "First responder" includes:

    (i) a firefighter;

    (ii) a paramedic;

    (iii) an emergency medical technician;

    (iv) a rescue squad member;

    (v) a sworn member of the Office of the State Fire Marshal;

    (vi) a member of a volunteer fire or rescue company who is a covered employee under Sec. 9-234 of the Labor and Employment Article;

    (vii) an individual who is licensed or certified under Sec. 13-516 of the Education Article; and

    (viii) a 9-1-1 specialist.

(k) "Home service provider" means the facilities-based carrier or reseller that contracts with a customer to provide CMRS.

(l) "Next Generation 9-1-1 services" means an Internet Protocol (IP)-based system, comprised of hardware, software, data, and operational policies and procedures, that:

  (1) provides standardized interfaces from emergency call and message services to support emergency communications;

  (2) processes all types of requests for emergency services, including voice, text, data, and multimedia information;

  (3) acquires and integrates additional emergency call data useful to routing and handling of requests for emergency services;

  (4) delivers the emergency calls, messages, and data to the appropriate public safety answering point and other appropriate emergency entities;

  (5) supports data or video communications needs for coordinated incident response and management; and

  (6) provides broadband service to public safety answering points or other first responder entities.

(m) "9-1-1-accessible service" means telephone service or another communications service that connects an individual dialing the digits 9-1-1 to an established public safety answering point.

(n)

  (1) "9-1-1 service carrier" means a provider of CMRS or other 9-1-1-accessible service.

  (2) "9-1-1 service carrier" does not include a telephone company.

(o) "9-1-1 specialist" means an employee of a county public safety answering point, or an employee working in a county public safety answering point, whose duties and responsibilities include:

  (1) receiving and processing 9-1-1 requests for emergency services;

  (2) other support functions directly related to 9-1-1 requests for emergency services; or

  (3) dispatching law enforcement officers, fire rescue services, emergency medical services, and other public safety services to the scene of an emergency.

(p)

  (1) "9-1-1 system" means telephone service that:

    (i) meets the planning guidelines established under this subtitle; and

    (ii) automatically connects an individual dialing the digits 9-1-1 to an established public safety answering point.

  (2) "9-1-1 system" includes:

    (i) equipment for connecting and outswitching 9-1-1 calls within a telephone central office;

    (ii) trunking facilities from a telephone central office to a public safety answering point; and

    (iii) equipment to connect 9-1-1 calls to the appropriate public safety agency.

(q) "9-1-1 Trust Fund" means the fund established under Sec. 1-308 of this subtitle.

(r) "Prepaid wireless E 9-1-1 fee" means the fee that is required to be collected by a seller from a consumer in the amount established under Sec. 1-313 of this subtitle.

(s) "Prepaid wireless telecommunications service" means a commercial mobile radio service that:

  (1) allows a consumer to dial 9-1-1 to access the 9-1-1 system;

  (2) must be paid for in advance; and

  (3) is sold in predetermined units that decline with use in a known amount.

(t) "Public safety agency" means:

  (1) a functional division of a public agency that provides fire fighting, police, medical, or other emergency services; or

  (2) a private entity that provides fire fighting, police, medical, or other emergency services on a voluntary basis.

(u) "Public safety answering point" means a communications facility that:

  (1) is operated on a 24-hour basis;

  (2) first receives 9-1-1 requests for emergency services in a 9-1-1 service area; and

  (3) as appropriate:

    (i) dispatches public safety services directly;

    (ii) transmits incident data to appropriate public safety agencies within the State for the dispatch of public safety services; or

    (iii) transfers 9-1-1 requests for emergency services or transmits incident data to:

      (1) an appropriate federal emergency communication center responsible for the delivery of public safety services on a federal campus or federal reservation; or

      (2) an appropriate public safety answering point located within or outside the State.

(v) "Secretary" means the Secretary of Emergency Management.

(w) "Seller" means a person that sells prepaid wireless telecommunications service to another person.

(x) "State 9-1-1 fee" means the fee imposed in accordance with Sec. 1-310 of this subtitle.

(y) "Wireless enhanced 9-1-1 service" means enhanced 9-1-1 service under an FCC order.

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Md. Code Ann., Pub. Safety (as displayed at mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 16, 2026)