Guilford Metro 911 Annual Report 2023

Guilford Metro 9-1-1 2023 Annual Report

GREENSBORO-NC.GOV/GM911

ONE CALL. ONE CENTER. ONE SOURCE.

Guilford Metro 9-1-1 (GM911) serves as the Primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for enhanced 9-1-1 in Guilford County. The center provides 9-1-1 dispatch and radio service for cities, towns, and unincorporated areas in Guilford County, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) dispatch for the city of High Point. This was a hard year for our department. One employee lost their spouse, while some lost their parents. Our Operations Division continued to operate at a critically low staffing level for the fourth year in a row. Despite these challenges, our department remained progressive in many areas. Some of the many projects completed in 2023 include: • The Technical Services Division completed Genesis Database maintenance and upgrades and enhanced security at tower sites. • The Public Safety Information From the Director

• The Training Section added an additional full-time employee to handle public outreach for GM911, public information requests, and recruitment events. • The Emergency Communications Division was credited with 54 life saves. Staff handled more than 725,000 phone transactions. GM911 is progressive and responsive to the needs of our agencies and community. We stand ready to fulfill our role as the “First, First Responder.” I am very proud of the many accomplishments of the staff of GM911, especially continuing to deal with a large increase in incoming phone calls, while still being at a critically low staffing level. Without their dedication and professionalism, GM911 would not fulfill our mission of high-level customer service to the community as well as our users.

Index About GM911...............................3 Agencies Served and Interoperability....................... 4-5

Administrative Services............6

Accreditation................................7

Training.......................................8-9

Communications...................... 10

Telephone Statistics................11

Technology (PSIT) Division hosted numerous computer aided dispatch (CAD) and records management system (RMS) vendor demonstrations and unanimously selected new RMS, CAD, and Mobile systems. The division also implemented new Lexis Nexis police-to-citizen and citizen reporting systems (PowerDMS, PowerFTO, PowerEngage). PSIT also expanded its staff at the Greensboro Police Department.

Staffing. ....................................... 12

Awards and Recognition.......13

Public Safety Information Technology...........................14-15

Technical Services..............16-19

Melanie Jones Executive Director

• The Administrative Division added a People and Culture representative.

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About GM911

Department Leadership Melanie Jones Executive Director Mark Shepherd Quality Assurance Administrator Christine Moore Emergency Communications Operations Manager Greg Nash Public Safety IT Manager Lewis Cheatham Technical Services Division Manager Tykia Johnson Administrative Fiscal Manager Executive Board City Manager Taiwo Jaiyeoba City of Greensboro County Manager Michael Halford Guilford County 911 Council Sheriff D.H. Rogers Guilford County Police Chief John Thompson City of Greensboro Fire Chief Jim Robinson City of Greensboro Emergency Services Director James Albright Guilford County User Groups EMS Chair: Shift Commander Jeff Hutchens Guilford County Emergency Services Fire Chairs: Chief Gary McGee Climax Fire Department Chief Larry Moser Mt. Hope Fire Department Law Chair: Captain Justin Flynt Greensboro Police Department Radio Chair: Technical Services Manager Lewis Cheatham GM911

Our Mission

The mission of GM911 is to serve the community and local government agencies with effective communications services and to facilitate communications for public safety agencies in Guilford County. To be effective, GM911 uses all available resources to support the missions of subscriber agencies. We are committed to the priorities, missions, and objectives of those we support and will partner with those departments and organizations to accomplish their goals while we adhere to the department’s core values.

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Agencies We Serve GM911 provides call intake and dispatch for medical, fire and law enforcement agencies throughout Guilford County and manages equipment to provide for radio communications for a wide range of organizations. Colleges & Universities

Municipal Governments City of Burlington City of Graham City of Greensboro General Government and Transit Agency City of Thomasville Guilford County Animal Control, Dive Team, Emergency Services, Facilities/General Services, General Government, Hazmat, Juvenile Detention, Parks and Recreation, Public Health/DSS, Security, and Transportation Law Enforcement Burlington Police Drug Enforcement Agency Graham Police Greensboro Police Department Guilford County Sheriff Other Carelink of Cone Health Systems Cone Health System High Point Regional Hospital Piedmont Triad Airport Authority Piedmont Triad Ambulance & Rescue NC Department of Transportation National Park Service

Guilford Technical Community College Fire Curriculum, Fire Station 99 and Police High Point University North Carolina A&T State University University of North Carolina at Greensboro Fire Alamance Fire Department Burlington Fire Department Greensboro Fire Department Fire District 13 Incorporated Fire District 28 Incorporated Gibsonville Fire Department Graham Fire Guilford County Fire Marshal Guil-Rand Fire Department Julian Fire Department Kimesville Fire Department McLeansville Fire Department Mt. Hope Fire Department Northeast Fire Department Oak Ridge Fire Department Pinecroft Sedgefield Fire Department Pleasant Garden Fire Department Southeast Fire Department Stokesdale Fire Department Summerfield Fire Department Whitsett Fire Department Climax Fire Department Colfax Fire Department

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Agencies with Interoperability GM911 systems can communicate with the following agencies. Colleges & Universities Alamance Community College Elon University High Point University

Municipal Governments City of Thomasville Davidson County Randolph County Rockingham County Stokes County Town of Cary

Emergency Management Mecklenburg Emergency Medical Services NC Office of Emergency Medical Services Thomasville Rescue Triad Regional Advisory Committee Urban Search & Rescue Fire

Town of Gibsonville Town of Kernersville Wake County Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Law Enforcement Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) Elon Police Federal Bureau of Investigation Gibsonville Police High Point Police Department Lexington Police Department NC Department of Probation and Parole NC Department of Public Safety NC State Highway Patrol NC Criminal Investigations Division State Bureau of Investigation US Courts Probation and Parole US Marshal Middle District US Secret Service Other NC DMV License & Theft Bureau NC Forestry Service NC State Parks NC Wildlife Resources Commission Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Denton Fire Department Faucette Township Fire Department Hasty Fire Department Healing Springs Fire Department High Point Fire Department Horneytown Fire Department Lexington Fire Department Liberty Fire Department Midway Fire & Rescue NC Office of State Fire Marshal Randolph County

Reeds Fire Department Tyro Fire Department Wallburg Fire & Rescue Municipal Governments Alamance County

Caswell County City of Archdale City of Durham City of Fayetteville City of High Point City of Salisbury

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Administrative Services

About the Division The Administration Division creates and manages department goals and objectives. It provides day-to-day and personnel management, project oversight, and planning for all other divisions and oversees the department’s $22.5-million budget. This division also oversees the Training and Quality Assurance Section.

Quality Assurance & Training Section

About the Section

The Quality Assurance and Training Section has an administrator,

two emergency communications

specialists, and a part time roster employee. Altogether, the team has more than 90 years of experience in the 911 and public safety system. It oversees accreditation compliance, departmental training, and is the point of contact for Guilford County Department of Social Services and public information requests.

2023 Public Records Data

2023

6,729

2022

6,786

0

1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000

54 523

Requests by Type

SUBPOENAS

RADIO TRAFFIC

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2023 Accreditation Compliance

GM911 is an Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) in two call-take disciplines – Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) and Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD) through the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED). The agency must meet and maintain 20 points of accreditation.

Emergency communications specialists receive feedback monthly. The reporting and feedback process is a crucial part of the Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement Program, as it helps to enrich GM911’s service to residents and agencies.

Accreditation

• Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) for Emergency Medical Dispatch and Emergency Fire Dispatch • APCO International Training Standards for Public Safety Telecommunicators • DCI Service Agreements and Compliance • Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies • Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services The section compiles and maintains documentation to meet the 911 communication requirements for the following organizations:

2023 Compliance Levels

Compliance Level

Minimum Standard

EMD

EFD

EPD*

Non-Compliant

6%

4%

6%

7%

Low Compliance

3%

4%

3%

10%

Partial Compliance

7%

6%

8%

10%

Compliant

28% 21% 23% None

High Compliance

56% 65% 60% None

**GM911 is not ACE accredited in EPD (Emergency Police Dispatch), and therefore is not required to meet the minimum standard of compliance in this area. Regardless, we strive to meet that goal.

PUBLIC (ATTORNEY/ CITIZEN/MEDIA) 2,280

1,217 1,357

4,449 16,532

REDACTED PHONE CALLS

UNREDACTED PHONE CALLS

DSS

DOCUMENTS REVIEWED/REDACTED

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Training Training Responsibilities

This section is responsible for the training of all new emergency communications employees through an in-house Rookie School, and providing monthly continuing education to all employees. GM911’s training curriculum meets APCO International’s Minimum Training Standards for Public Safety Telecommunicators and is APCO International’s Agency Training Program Certified. This certification validates the agency’s curriculum and ensures trainees receive the required content. It also emphasizes the demonstration of decision and psychomotor skills cited within the standards.

Training Team Credentials

EMD, EFD, EPD certifications EMD-Q, EFD-Q, EPD-Q (Quality Assurance) NC Division of Criminal Information (DCI) and DCI Instructor Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and CPR Instructor Emergency Telecommunicator (ETC) and ETC-Instructor APCO International Communications Training Officer Version 6 Federal Emergency Management Agency – 100, 200, 700

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2023 Training Highlights

• Conducted three rookie schools with eight emergency communications specialists. • Received APCO International’s Agency Training Program Certification at APCO’s 89th Annual Conference and Expo in Nashville, TN, August 6-9, 2023. This certification validates the agency’s training curriculum to ensure it provides trainees with both the required content and focuses on the demonstration of decision and psychomotor skills cited within the standards. • Maintained partnership with National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). • Maintained Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) for EFD. GM911 is the world’s 12th Fire ACE. • Maintained Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) for EMD. GM911 is the world’s 134th Medical ACE.

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Communications Division Education & Outreach

GM911 is dedicated to fostering strong community relationships and educating the public about 911, our organization, and other public safety topics. Through the Red E. Fox program and other outreach efforts at local schools and youth centers, GM911 staff teaches the importance of 911 to local children. Department members from all divisions participate in various public relations events and gatherings throughout the year. This outreach allows community members, local businesses, and partner agencies to uniquely fortify bonds with GM911.

2023 Public Relations Events & Engagements

Feedback from Public & Partners

NC House of Representatives and NC Senate’s reading of a statement supporting Telecommunicators as First Responders National Emergency Number Association’s 9-1-1 Goes to Washington Rankin Elementary School’s Project Connect Recruitment Events Greensboro Police Basic Introductory Course Wellspring Safety Week Law Enforcement Memorial Service United Way of Greater Greensboro Events Guilford Merchants Association Human Rights Group Events National Night Out Glenwood Library’s Children’s Program City of Greensboro G-School Events Elder Justice Committee 9-8-8 Coalition Press Conferences and Media Stories Guilford Metro 9-1-1 Telecommunications Banquet Girl Scout Troop Presentations GTCC Basic Law Enforcement Training Events

Commendations

2023

2022

Residents

4

8

Other Agencies

35

19

Internal

114

84

Total

153

111

Complaints

2023

2022

Residents

3

1

Other Agencies

28

27

Total

31

28

Founded*

25

19

*Founded complaints were those determined to be valid upon review.

TOURS ATTENDEES 44 332

911 Communications Center Tours

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Telephone Statistics Call Volume During the last year, the Emergency Communications Division processed 728,529 calls. The NC 9-1-1 Board utilizes RapidDeploy Eclipse Analytics for statewide reporting for the 9-1-1 industry. The call-answering reports consistently show GM911 as a state leader with 99.8 percent of calls answered within 10 seconds. 911 Calls Received 330,146 10 Digit Calls Received 194,950 Outgoing Calls 166,571 Total Telephone Transactions 691,667

2023 Telephone Statistics Monthly Averages ALL CALLS 5.3% increase from 2022 28,979 24,149 WIRELESS CALLS 4.2% increase from 2022 VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL CALLS 5.9% decrease from 2022 TTY/TDD/TEXT-TO-9-1-1 145.6% increase from 2022 1,540 * ABANDONED CALLS 0.8% decrease from 2022 934 2,657

911 Calls Received 10 Digit Calls Received

347,745 203,330 177,454 728,529

Outgoing Calls

Total Telephone Transactions

177,454 OUTGOING CALLS

166,571 OUTGOING CALLS

+6.5%

347,745 911 CALLS RECEIVED

330,146 911 CALLS RECEIVED

911 Calls Received

911 Calls Received

203,330 10 DIGIT CALLS RECEIVED

194,950 10 DIGIT CALLS RECEIVED

+5.3%

+4.3%

2023 Call Volume Total Telephone Transactions: 728,529 + 5.3% increase

2022 Call Volume Total Telephone Transactions: 691,667

Types of Calls GM911 continued to experience a decrease in landline 911 calls while wireless 911 calls increased from 84.6 percent to 87.3 percent. The center experienced a slight decrease in abandoned calls. We received an average of 953 calls per day in 2023, a 5.1 percent increase from 2022. There was a significant increase in text-to-911 calls as community awareness about that service increased.

Calls for Service

Agency

2023

2022

% of change

Guilford County EMS

88,659 89,221

0.6% decrease

334

Guilford County Fire

17,311 17,877

3.2% decrease

BUSINESS CALLS 45% decrease from 2022

Guilford County Sheriff

64,383 62,730

2.6% increase

Greensboro Fire

38,501 37,669

2.2% increase

RESIDENTIAL CALLS 57% decrease from 2022 191 *Note: This figure was reported incorrectly in the 2022 Annual Report.

Greensboro Police

189,011 199,911 5.5% decrease

Other Resources

13,407

6,649

101.6% increase

All Agencies

411,570 414,057

.6% decrease

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Staffing 2023 Force Strength

The Emergency Communications Division had 75 emergency communications specialists (ECS) in 2023. The authorized ECS staffing was 89, including the supervisors and operations manager. This is a reduction in force, as four telecommunicator positions were allocated to other divisions within GM911. The average vacancy per month for this year was 18 ECS positions. Six new ECSs were hired in 2023. In 2023, three ESCs resigned, two retired, one transferred, and one was dismissed. We ended the calendar year with 14 vacancies. Resignations/Terminations/Retirements % of Turnover Exiting Staffers w 2020 12 12.9 2021 13 14 2022 13 14 2023 7 7.9

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RESIGNATIONS/ TERMINATIONS/ RETIREMENTS 7

EXITING STAFFERS WITH >1 YEAR OF EXPERIENCE 6

14

12

10

8

Resignations/Terminations/Re tirements % of Turnover Exiting Staffers with Greater Than 1 Year Experience

6

PERCENT OF TURNOVER 7.9 %

4

2

0

2020

2021

2022

2023

12

2023 Mosaic Award Melanie Jones was honored by the City’s Human Rights Department for her partnership and promotion of equity, access, and human rights.

Awards and Recognition

National Award

Performance Standard Awards

Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) Award For receiving ACE-level quality assurance scores Erin Blair – EPD Lisa Bunch – EFD, EPD Kimberly Burkley – EPD Nicole Childress – EFD Brian Cole-Lilly – EFD, EPD Crystal Connor – EFD Paige Cummings – EFD Bill Daniel – EFD Michael Davis – EPD Kasi Edwards – EFD James Gemperline – EFD, EMD Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD) Heather LeQuire Christina Miller Cheryl Moore Kris Riley Misty Ritchie Michael Taylor

Emergency Police Dispatch (EPD) Nicole Childress

2023 APCO International Teammates in Action Award Corina Hunt

Cheryl Moore Kim Williams

Local Honorees GM911’s annual Employee Recognition Program honored the following employees for their dedication and outstanding service.

Life Saving Award For providing life sustaining or saving support Laura Berkstresser (2) Erin Blair (3) Brian Cole-Lilly Kelly Faircloth Yolanda Graham Adam Goslin Scott Harrison Michael Hebert Michael Huntoon Danette McNeal Jeri Phillips Justin Sugalski Corrie Wagoner (2) Britt Whitmire Kim Williams Taylor Williford (2) Sunserey Wilson Emily Welker Lisa Bunch Greg Cobb

Telecommunicator of the Year Kimberly Burkley

Casey Grant – EPD James Greer – EFD

Charlena Hogue – EPD Nathan Jackson – EPD Cassie Jobe – EFD, EPD Vanessa Johnson – EPD Evelyn Kabler – EPD Heather LeQuire – EPD Cindy Little – EFD Tammy Matherly – EPD Angela Mitchell – EFD Cheryl Moore – EFD Jeri Phillips – EPD Misty Ritchie – EPD Justin Sugalski – EFD Sabrina Simmons – EFD Britt Whitmire – EFD

Rookie of the Year Michael Hebert

Support Person of the Year Kristi Dean

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Public Safety Information Technology Division About the Division

The Public Safety Information Technology (PSIT) manages special projects and the acquisition, maintenance, and operation of all hardware and software supporting the operations of GM911, Greensboro’s Police and Fire departments, and an array of networks and computer systems.

2023 Highlights

• Implemented a robust and feature-rich IT asset management solution for all supported agencies. • Hosted numerous CAD and Records Management System vendor demonstrations and unanimously selected new RMS, CAD, and mobile systems. • Implemented new police-to-citizen and citizen reporting systems provided by Lexis Nexis. • Coordinated the implementation of multi-factor authentication for public safety users. • Implemented SharePoint intranet site. • Completed the transition to Axon Interview, a video

system for the Greensboro Police interview rooms. • Migrated public safety users to Exchange 365 and OneDrive. • Implemented Microsoft PowerBI data visualization server and Firefighter Gateway safety management solution for Greensboro Fire. • Transitioned the Colfax Fire Department to the Kernersville Fire Department within the CAD system. • Implemented the software platforms PowerDMS, PowerFTO, and PowerEngage at GM911. • Increased PSIT personnel to support Police and Fire.

16 53

MAP UPDATES

ANNEXATIONS

14

System Uptime System uptime is critical for the emergency operations center. PSIT strives for high availability, steady performance, and data integrity. Excluding planned downtime, GM911’s CAD and phone systems uptime did not fall below 99.99 percent for 2023. Help Desk In addition to project completion and equipment rollout, PSIT completed more than 10,905 work orders from internal and external users in 2023. Many were completed within 24 hours of submission. PSIT also responded to nearly 1,000 calls to after-hours support lines in 2023.

SYSTEM UPTIME WORK ORDERS 99.99 % 10,905

Geographic Information System (GIS)

Internally, the PSIT division has GIS staff responsible for updating geographic information for emergency and non emergency responses. This data is crucial in helping to identify a caller’s location and recommending the proper response by specific agencies. This key component drives our CAD system and allows responders to navigate efficiently to emergencies. PSIT staff works with various agencies to ensure current and accurate information.

STREET SEGMENT ADDITIONS 2,010

179,805

POLYGON EDITS 689

STREET SEGMENT EDITS 91,975

Geographic Data Updates

ADDRESS POINT ADDITIONS/EDITS

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Technical Services Division About the Division

The Technical Services Division operates a full-service, customer-owned, and maintained (COAM) 800-megahertz trunked wireless radio system. We also program, support, and offer accessories for subscriber equipment. The division strives to provide excellent customer service by producing professional results in the maintenance, repair, and programming of our radio system and end-user subscriber equipment for voice, data, emergency, and non-emergency communications. We also provide consultation, order processing, and project management for our customers to help them best meet their needs.

MAINTAINED BY GM911 6,793

TOTAL RADIO SYSTEMS ASSETS

16

2023 Highlights

This was a very successful year with the continued maintenance and configuration of the P25 core and site network. This year we upgraded our system to the new A2022.1 release. The division performed system hardware and software updates, optimizations, and enhancements to maximize performance and keep the network functioning to specification. Regular software and security enhancements allow GM911 to maintain a state-of-the art communications system that is secure and robust enough to meet our users’ public-safety needs. This year we continued further setup and operation of the new Seahawk system, manufactured by PCTEL. This solution lets us monitor the radio frequency spectrum over the air, which greatly assists in identifying and locating potential interference that could disrupt our radio system. The Seahawk system helped us locate and rectify several interference issues this year that caused major issues. We look forward to implementing more Seahawk equipment this year at three additional tower sites. Technical services have been very busy with bi-directional amplifier (BDA) systems checks and approvals due to recent changes to North Carolina fire code for buildings. The new code requires First Responder’s radios to work properly while inside newly constructed buildings. This in turn requires our shop to work with all contractors on all new constructions of 7,200 square feet or more to ensure the BDAs are set up properly onsite, over the air to our tower sites, and do not cause any problems for our systems. We also attended meetings, conferences, trainings, and workshops for NC Emergency Management, FIRSTNET, APCO, NENA, MTUG, NCSIEC, NCFIRSTECH, and other state and national organizations.

0% HIGH POINT MEDICAL CENTER NPS

2% GRAHAM FIRE/ POLICE

Total Radios

1% EACH CARE LINK CONE HEALTH DEA GTCC NC A&T UNIVERSITY NCDOT

5% THOMASVILLE

7% BURLINGTON

PTAA PTAR UNCG

41% GREENSBORO

36% GUILFORD COUNTY

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Technical Services Division 2023 Projects The Technical Services Division delivers ongoing management and assistance with projects and daily operations to both internal and external customers. Outstanding customer service and efficiency are always top priorities. Below are some of the completed projects for 2023:

• Continued maintenance for the backup redundancy of the fire automated alerting system USDD. The system uses our radio house set configuration and in-house, custom-designed interface for automated alerting redundancy for the Greensboro Fire Department and several others in Guilford County. • Reprogrammed subscriber units for continued interoperability among agencies. • Provided Genesis Database maintenance and upgrades. • Continued alignment and optimization of radios to manufacturer specifications for safety and optimal performance.

• Continued agreement with Motorola for system maintenance (parts) and software update agreements. • Continued maintenance of the City of Thomasville’s public safety and non-public safety radio system and radio units. • Continued maintenance of the Guilford County Fire UHF paging system, which serves as a critical component for County’s fire emergency notifications. • Enhanced tower site security.

The Technical Services Division has an extensive list of future projects that will be under development in 2024, including the addition of Guilford County Schools Transportation and Security radios.

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Radio Systems Assets Maintained by GM911

2,805 2,417

CITY OF GREENSBORO

GUILFORD COUNTY

505 333 127 101

CITY OF BURLINGTON

CITY OF THOMASVILLE

CITY OF GRAHAM

NC A&T STATE UNIVERSITY

81 78 74 66 62 47 41 41 12 3

NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

GUILFORD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF NC AT GREENSBORO

US DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION

PIEDMONT TRIAD AIRPORT AUTHORITY

PIEDMONT TRIAD AMBULANCE & RESCUE

CONE HEALTH

CARELINK

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

HIGH POINT MEDICAL CENTER

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336-373-2933 1903 Midway St. Greensboro, NC 27403

GREENSBORO-NC.GOV/GM911

ONE CALL. ONE CENTER. ONE SOURCE.