WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor Ch. 510

Article 41 - Governor - Executive and Administrative Departments

Section 18-106

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1986 Replacement Volume and 1989 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article 41 - Governor - Executive and Administrative Departments

18-101.

(a) The General Assembly recognizes the paramount importance of the safety
and well-being of the citizens of Maryland and further recognizes that when the lives or
property of its citizens are in imminent danger, timely and appropriate assistance must
be rendered.

(b) Further, the General Assembly recognizes that such assistance is almost
always summoned by telephone and that a multiplicity of emergency telephone numbers
exist throughout the State and within any one county.

(e) The General Assembly is concerned that avoidable delays in reaching
appropriate emergency aid are occurring to the jeopardy of life and property.

(d) The General Assembly acknowledges that the three digit number, 911, is a
nationally recognized and applied telephone number which may be used to summon
emergency aid and to eliminate delays caused by lack of familiarity with emergency
numbers and by understandable confusion in circumstances of crisis.

(e) It is the purpose of this subtitle to establish the three digit number, 911, as
the primary emergency telephone number for the State of Maryland and to provide for
the orderly installation, maintenance, and operation of 911 systems within the State.

(f) In this subtitle, the following words and terms have the meanings indicated:

(1) "County" means any of the 23 counties of Maryland and Baltimore
City.

(2) "Comptroller" means the Comptroller of the State Treasury.

(3) "Board" means the Emergency Number Systems Board.

(4) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the State Department of Public
Safety and Correctional Services.

(5) "911 system" means a telephone service which meets the planning
guidelines established pursuant to § 18-103 of this subtitle, and which automatically
connects a person dialing the digits 911 to an established public safety answering point.
911 system includes equipment for connecting and outswitching 911 calls within a
telephone central office, trunking facilities from the central office to a public safely

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