Hero-Grade in Action: Customers Who Defined ENGAGE 2026

ENGAGE 2026 was the first Hero-Grade ENGAGE, and the customers who attended made sure it lived up to the name.

More than 1,400 public sector professionals came together in Washington, D.C. for three days of sessions, conversations, and connections. As always, some of the most memorable moments came from the customers who shared their stories on stage, like during the awards ceremony.

The ENGAGE Awards exist to spotlight the people and agencies who bring Hero-Grade to life in their communities every day. Not just in emergencies, but in the unglamorous work behind the scenes that keeps cities running. This year’s winners spanned public safety, municipal operations, emergency communications, and beyond—offering a sweeping view of what Hero-Grade looks like in practice.

Setting the Standard: Customer Stories from the Keynote

Two customer stories opened ENGAGE 2026 and set the tone for everything that followed.

The City of Tamarac, FL showed what it looks like to grow with intention. As the city expands, it has scaled and improved operations without losing sight of its residents. Built on a connected foundation of NaviLine™ and EAM, Tamarac manages assets, infrastructure, and daily operations across departments with remarkable coordination. It’s a reflection of their commitment to transparency, efficiency, and community trust—and a model for what modern municipal operations can look like.

East Baton Rouge Parish, LA told a different kind of story. After building a full public safety ecosystem in the cloud with Enterprise and Vertex™ NG911, EBR is now connecting 911 callers, dispatchers, and officers in the field without the silos that used to slow things down. What makes their story compelling isn’t just the technology. It’s how it was built—through a close, collaborative partnership with CentralSquare that proves Hero-Grade is a mutual commitment.

In the keynote, we explored two customer stories. One focused on growing a city, the other on protecting it. Both doing it at a Hero-Grade level.

When the Moment Demands It

The ENGAGE Awards 2026 recognized agencies and individuals who rose to meet some of the most demanding moments in public safety.

Citizen Experience: Chief Dan Hyman, Ramapo Police Department, NY

Chief Dan Hyman was off duty and driving past a three-alarm house fire when he spotted a trapped occupant in an upstairs window. He borrowed a civilian’s ladder, climbed to the second floor, and guided the occupant safely down before fire crews arrived. Named a hometown hero by The Rockland County Times, Chief Hyman’s actions are a reminder that Hero-Grade doesn’t clock out.

Smart Safety: Russ St. Myers, South Metro Fire Rescue, CO

Russ St. Myers, the 911 Systems Administrator for South Metro Fire Rescue, led a complete Enterprise CAD rebuild with zero downtime. He also rebuilt an entire 911 communications center in under three weeks—all without interrupting service. When severe storms and lightning strikes threatened operations over Memorial Day weekend, Russ worked to restore systems and kept emergency response running. As weather conditions deteriorated, Russ made sure emergency response didn’t.

Exemplary Service in 911: Brunswick County, NC

When an armed assailant opened fire at a crowded waterfront bar, five telecommunicators on duty handled over two dozen calls in minutes—while simultaneously managing an unrelated pursuit. They dispatched to the scene within seconds, escalated to active assailant protocol, and coordinated EMS, fire, hospitals, and wildlife officers. They also notified the U.S. Coast Guard, a decision that helped deputies apprehend the suspect within an hour. Brunswick County 911 showed us that Hero-Grade is about being prepared for every moment.

Building Before the Need Arrives

The best agencies don’t wait for problems to drive change. They see what’s coming and build toward it.

Innovation: City of Punta Gorda, FL

Repeated storm damage had taken a toll on Punta Gorda’s metering infrastructure. Rather than accept service delays, several departments collaborated (i.e. IT, Utilities, Billing) to produce a GIS-driven workflow that validates, uploads, and synchronizes data directly into utility billing. The impact was immediate and measurable: 14,000+ meters supported, manual entry reduced by 90%, 54+ hours saved per month, and more than 100,000 meter reads processed.

As demonstrated by Punta Gorda, Hero-Grade innovation isn’t about technology for technology’s sake. It’s about adaptability, collaboration, and real community impact.

Smart Community: Ada County Highway District, Boise, ID

Guided by a simple mission—Build Together, Build Safe, and Build More—Ada County Highway District launched the “Build Together” initiative to improve transparency and keep residents informed. By modernizing Development Services with CentralSquare Community Development and Laserfiche, they automated permitting and impact-fee processes across more than 5,000 lane miles. The result is fewer errors, stronger community trust, and protected funding for critical infrastructure.

Excellence in Resourcefulness: City of Tarpon Springs, FL

Tarpon Springs is a small, full-service city with a big job. It serves its residents year-round and welcomes millions of visitors annually—all with limited staffing. Rather than overextend their team and hope for the best, the city partnered with CentralSquare to develop custom applications tailored to its unique tourism and cultural environment. Tarpon Springs proves that limited staffing doesn’t have to mean limited service.

Stronger Together: Dakota Public Safety User Group

Not every Hero-Grade story belongs to a single agency or individual. Sometimes it’s a network that makes the difference.

The South Dakota Public Safety User Group brought together agencies of all sizes to collaborate on best practices and shared challenges. In a landscape where smaller departments often lack the resources to navigate complex transitions alone, this group filled the gap. The NIBRS transition was a clear example.

When the statewide NIBRS transition created uncertainty across South Dakota, the user group stepped in. By sharing knowledge, addressing concerns, and helping agencies move forward with confidence, they turned a daunting statewide mandate into a manageable process.

The group’s reach didn’t stop there. Smaller departments gained access to shared expertise on eCitations, Field Ops, Custom Modules, Extend, and critical security and compliance needs like multi-factor authentication. Knowledge that larger agencies take for granted became accessible to everyone.

The strongest safety networks aren’t built in a day. They’re built through consistent, everyday support, so no agency has to figure it out alone. The South Dakota Public Safety User Group built exactly that kind of network.

What Hero-Grade Looks Like

This year’s winners didn’t set out to win an award. They set out to serve their communities, and they did it with excellence.

Hero-Grade is a shared commitment. It’s defined by the dispatchers managing chaos on the worst nights, the IT directors rebuilding systems in the middle of a storm, the chiefs who don’t stop serving when they clock out, and the user groups making sure no agency gets left behind. It’s also the standard CentralSquare holds itself to, building technology alongside the people who depend on it most.

The technology matters, but the people behind it matter more—the ones who show up prepared, stay calm under pressure, and find solutions nobody anticipated. This year’s ENGAGE Award winners are proof of that.

Save the Date: ENGAGE 2027

CentralSquare ENGAGE 2026 was a celebration of the people and agencies who set the Hero-Grade standard. We’ll carry that same energy to Las Vegas, NV next year. The sessions, the connections, and the award ceremonies will be back, and so will the stories that remind us why this work matters.

Your work shapes what we build and pushes us to be Hero-Grade every day. We can’t wait to see what you bring to Vegas. Mark your calendar for April 18–21, 2027.