Montgomery County, MD

Montgomery County, MD Drone as First Responder pilot tests technology's role in emergencies

Montgomery County selected Silver Spring and Wheaton as flight zones after evaluating crime trends. County dispatchers and drone pilots consult during each emergency call to decide if flights are necessary. The Montgomery County Police Department determines threat levels, personnel needs, and appropriate responses based on real-time aerial footage. Community feedback gathered at two public meetings shaped the program's development.

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Montgomery County, MD

United States

Montgomery County, MD designed a custom solar-powered charging station for park visitors

The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission's Facilities Management Division designed and built a custom solar-powered charging station after determining that the market was unable to meet their specific needs. The flower-shaped solar-powered charging station can be installed in any parks or remote areas without access to power lines. The "solar flower" harvests and stores 150 watts of power in batteries to provide Wi-Fi access and charge visitors electronic devices.

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Montgomery County, MD

United States

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Prince George's County, MD

United States

Montgomery County, MD installed an interactive communication board at the park to promote inclusion

Montgomery County installed a new communication board to promote inclusion and equality for visitors at the Wheaton Local Park. The communication board displays relevant photos, symbols, and illustrations in English, Spanish, and Braille. The communication board helps visitors with limited language skills, autism, or learning disabilities express themselves. This interactive device can also be used to facilitate communication between visitors who speak different languages.

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Montgomery County, MD

United States

Montgomery County, MD recruits civic design volunteers for Design By People fellowships

Designers, project managers, and other fellows spend four months responding to current issues facing the county. Prospective participants fill out forms demonstrating their local government experiences and interests in helping Montgomery County. Design By People fellows work with the county's innovation team on real-world solutions rather than ideas. The current cohort will address growing wait times facing 311 callers during a summer spike in COVID-19 cases.

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Montgomery County, MD

United States

Montgomery County, MD responds to state public safety changes with an accountability dashboard

The dashboard tracks the county's compliance with the Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021. County officials added tabs for recommendations by an independent audit and a public safety task force. Each tab includes descriptions, due dates, and priority levels in areas ranging from 911 response times to crisis intervention training. Dashboard users recommend upgrades to the portal and ways to achieve accountability goals through the Feedback tab.

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Montgomery County, MD

United States

Montgomery County, MD installed selfie stands to help park visitors capture the beautiful scenery

Montgomery County Parks celebrated "National Selfie Day" by installing 16 selfie stands in 13 local parks. The stands include ledges at two different heights where park visitors can place their phones for individual or group shots. Visitors can locate the selfie stands via an interactive map. The selfie stand locations highlight scenic views and the diversity of landscapes around the parks. Visitors are encouraged to upload their selfies to social media with the hashtag #ShowUsYourParkie.

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Montgomery County, MD

United States

Montgomery County, MD is transitioning to an entirely electric school bus fleet with a subscription

The Montgomery County Public Schools district is transitioning to an entirely electric school bus fleet. The district partnered with Highland Electric Transportation an electric school bus fleet subscription service to provide an electric fleet at the same cost the district pays to purchase and operate its fleet of diesel buses. The county will receive its first 25 buses this year, then 61 next year, and 120 each year after that until all 1,400 school buses are replaced.

MC

Montgomery County, MD

United States