MARC coordinates ongoing enhancement and operation of the regional 911 and interoperable communications systems and provides training and support to telecommunicators. 

The Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) helps reduce the community’s risks from accidents involving hazardous chemicals through coordinated planning, training, exercises and public education.

MARC helps strengthen the region’s emergency services and homeland security capabilities to protect, prepare, respond and recover.

MARC coordinates the preparations and plans to respond to health and medical emergencies in our region.

Working with local governments, public safety and emergency service agencies, and committees, MARC coordinates the preparation of a number of regional emergency plans.

In preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ in Kansas City, MARC joined the Greater Kansas
City Chamber of Commerce and KC 2026 to co-host a special briefing for elected officials. MARC committees will continue to provide ongoing support for regional cooperation of public safety and security efforts, transportation for key event venues and information sharing pertinent to local tourism events.

MARC continues to support the work of the Eastern Jackson County, Missouri, Co-
Responder Program. The Co-Responder program embeds mental health clinicians from two community behavioral health centers within seven police departments to respond alongside officers to 911 calls that involve mental health, substance use or a related crisis. MARC’s role is convening this collaborative and standardizing data collection to help improve the agencies’ abilities to measure progress. Since October 2023, co-responding mental health clinicians have conducted 2,080 field assessments or mental health screenings, and connected 1,339 individuals to behavioral health services. In more than 95% of calls involving a coresponder, the client avoided arrest or being taken into custody.

The Regional Homeland Security Coordinating Committee hosted 65 trainings and 12 exercises in 2024 to help emergency services agencies prepare for all threats. The Health Care Coalition addressed a range of incidents and continued implementation of an agreement to enable resource sharing as a safety net among 22 participating agencies. 

The Metropolitan Emergency Managers Committee led efforts to update a five-county Regional
Hazard Mitigation Plan in Missouri and the Mid-America Regional Council Emergency Rescue Committee developed the capacity for regional EMS agencies to offer community paramedic services.

MARC prepared for Next Generation 911 (NG911), which allows 911 calls to be routed based on location and not cell phone towers. Responding to a request from the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department, MARC provided an automatic call-back feature for the city’s emergency communications center, along with an auto-attendant feature for use at the city’s discretion.

MARC convened meetings with local government staff who use GIS to collaborate on continued data accuracy for addresses as the region works to implement NG911. MARC also coordinated work to update mapping software and refresh aerial imagery to help dispatchers more easily locate 911 callers. In addition, MARC transitioned the region’s registry of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to PulsePoint, a mobile app that alerts CPR-trained bystanders to respond to nearby sudden cardiac arrest events and helps users find public AEDs.

MARC launched a pilot platform called Mindbase to support 911 call-takers’ mental
health and overall wellness. The platform consists of an integrated dashboard that uses
data to understand exposure and critical event trauma experienced by 911 professionals as well
as an app that offers clinically validated content, wellness training, self-assessment tools, and
access to peer teams and culturally competent clinicians. In 2024, MARC 911 conducted online
and in-person trainings to 850 dispatchers on topics focusing on wellness, active shooter response, leadership and crisis intervention team skills.

Supporting Jackson County’s decision to evaluate the possibility of regionalizing emergency 911 dispatch services, MARC coordinated a request for proposal process and supported the selected a contractor in conducting a feasibility study. The assessment examined present conditions, compared 911 call centers, analyzed staffing needs and proposed options for agencies in Jackson County, Missouri, to increase their data sharing and interoperability in dispatching 911 calls.