U.S. Army selects Michael Baker International for multi-year NG9-1-1 GIS modernization across 54 installations

Michael Baker International, in collaboration with portfolio company DATAMARK Technologies, has been awarded a multi-year contract by the U.S. Army’s Product Director Base Emergency Communications System (PD BECS) under PEO C3N to deliver Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) compliant Geographic Information System (GIS) and addressing data across 54 continental United States (CONUS) Army installations. The project will standardize geospatial data in alignment with National Emergency Number Association (NENA), SDSFIE, and United States Postal Service (USPS) protocols to improve emergency response and call routing accuracy.

The award positions Michael Baker International and DATAMARK Technologies at the center of a defense-wide push to bring military installations in line with evolving national public safety communication standards. The project will support 9-1-1 modernization efforts, GIS-driven dispatch systems, and the integration of geospatial data across Army and municipal emergency networks.

Why is the U.S. Army investing in NG9-1-1 GIS infrastructure modernization across domestic bases?

The U.S. Army’s investment in NG9-1-1 GIS infrastructure is not merely a technology upgrade—it reflects a broader transformation of emergency communication protocols across all federal, state, and local jurisdictions. NG9-1-1 systems are designed to improve speed, accuracy, and interoperability by linking caller location data with Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems using GIS. For military installations, where physical infrastructure, jurisdictional boundaries, and mission-critical response times vary significantly from civilian contexts, GIS standardization plays an essential role.

This modernization effort is especially timely given the aging state of legacy 9-1-1 systems, which were primarily designed for analog landline calls. With today’s mobile-first environment and increasing deployment of IP-based communication, emergency calls from wireless and VoIP devices need precise, real-time geospatial data to be properly routed to the correct Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and responded to by the right authority—whether military or civilian.

By partnering with Michael Baker International and DATAMARK Technologies, the Army is consolidating its NG9-1-1 strategy under a team that combines domain knowledge in military geospatial systems with commercial NG9-1-1 deployment expertise. Michael Baker’s track record with the Army’s Installation Geospatial Information & Services (IGI&S) Program and DATAMARK’s involvement in statewide NG9-1-1 efforts offer a complementary approach to data compliance, remediation, and integration.

What are the core components of the NG9-1-1 GIS deliverables and how do they align with Army priorities?

The multi-year task order, running through August 2030, will involve the creation and validation of several GIS data layers critical for NG9-1-1 operations. These include road centerlines, address points, and emergency service boundaries, all of which must be compliant with NENA standards, SDSFIE specifications, and USPS address formatting rules.

Each of these elements plays a specific operational role. Road centerlines are foundational to routing logic and service boundaries, while address points allow PSAPs to locate emergency callers with building-level precision. Emergency service boundaries help the CAD system determine which agencies—fire, police, medical—are responsible for each geographic region.

For the Army, aligning with NENA and USPS standards also enables more seamless coordination with surrounding municipal and regional emergency response systems, especially in joint-use areas or installations near population centers. By embracing interoperability, the Army ensures that its base infrastructure does not become a geospatial silo but instead integrates into the broader national emergency communication network.

A team of more than 300 GIS professionals from Michael Baker and DATAMARK will execute the program under the “One Michael Baker” model. Their responsibilities include local addressing coordination, GIS data remediation, quality control and validation, as well as collaboration with municipal PSAPs and Army installation GIS teams.

How does this project fit into broader military and federal GIS transformation initiatives?

The Army’s NG9-1-1 GIS modernization effort is part of a growing defense-wide emphasis on digital infrastructure and interoperability. Within the Department of Defense, there is increased scrutiny of legacy systems that limit real-time situational awareness or fail to integrate with modern geospatial tools. This push aligns with federal mandates to improve geospatial governance, such as the Geospatial Data Act and the Federal Geographic Data Committee’s (FGDC) directives.

Additionally, the urgency around emergency communication reform has intensified following several high-profile disasters and cybersecurity incidents that revealed the vulnerabilities of outdated 9-1-1 infrastructure. As both military and civilian agencies race to adopt more resilient, data-driven models, projects like this serve as templates for cross-agency coordination.

Michael Baker’s engagement through PD BECS and PEO C3N also highlights how mission support and homeland defense priorities are being redefined by data infrastructure. Geographic information systems are no longer seen as static mapping tools but as dynamic platforms for operational readiness, crisis management, and inter-agency command and control.

What competitive advantages does Michael Baker International bring to this multi-installation contract?

Michael Baker International is uniquely positioned for this contract due to its integrated expertise across infrastructure engineering, GIS consulting, and public safety technology. The company’s existing relationship with the U.S. Army through the IGI&S Program means it has a deep understanding of base-level geospatial challenges, chain-of-command structures, and installation-specific constraints.

DATAMARK Technologies, as a portfolio company, adds complementary strength through its nationwide work in creating NENA-compliant GIS datasets for state and local governments. This includes practical experience with mobile caller location data, CAD integration, and PSAP modernization workflows—all critical to the success of NG9-1-1 implementations.

Together, this pairing creates a hybrid capability that spans both military and civilian emergency GIS use cases. Moreover, the project leverages Michael Baker’s broader platform across civil engineering, transportation, environmental services, and program management, ensuring continuity across interconnected Army infrastructure upgrades.

With more than 5,100 employees and over 90 office locations, Michael Baker can also deploy on-site resources quickly, a key factor when working across geographically dispersed military installations.

What risks could impact execution, data compliance, or PSAP integration timelines?

While the project outlines a clear scope through 2030, several risks could impact execution. One potential challenge lies in reconciling disparate GIS maturity levels across the 54 installations. Some Army bases may already have robust GIS infrastructure, while others may require foundational work including address schema correction, GPS validation, and PSAP mapping coordination.

Another complexity involves municipal integration. Because many military installations coordinate emergency response with adjacent civilian authorities, inconsistencies in boundary definitions or jurisdictional overlaps could delay CAD integration or cause data mismatches.

Maintaining data quality and currency is also a known bottleneck in NG9-1-1 projects. GIS layers must be continuously updated to reflect changes in infrastructure, street layouts, or service areas. Without ongoing synchronization and governance, initial datasets can quickly become outdated, undermining the value of the upgrade.

The involvement of multiple standards—NENA, SDSFIE, USPS—also creates a compliance burden, especially if conflicting interpretations arise. Ensuring that the final data layers meet all requirements across PSAP, Army, and federal levels will demand constant coordination, validation, and revalidation.

What could this project signal for the future of defense-aligned GIS modernization and emergency response integration?

This project serves as a bellwether for how GIS-driven infrastructure modernization is evolving within the U.S. defense establishment. It also signals a shift toward treating emergency response infrastructure not just as operational support but as a strategic asset.

Beyond the Army, other defense agencies and even international allies may study this contract as a model for integrating NG9-1-1 GIS systems across secure and non-secure environments. As threats to national security become more asymmetric—from cyberattacks to climate-induced emergencies—the ability to route emergency response with precision and speed becomes central to both domestic resilience and force protection.

If executed successfully, the Michael Baker–DATAMARK effort could establish a blueprint for dual-use geospatial infrastructure that serves military command, civilian disaster management, and cross-agency collaboration.

What are the key takeaways for geospatial technology providers, defense contractors, and infrastructure investors?

• Michael Baker International has been selected to lead NG9-1-1 GIS data modernization across 54 U.S. Army CONUS installations, in collaboration with DATAMARK Technologies.
• The project spans through 2030 and will deliver road centerlines, address points, and emergency service boundaries aligned with NENA, SDSFIE, and USPS standards.
• This effort will enhance the speed and accuracy of emergency call routing, integrating CAD systems and improving Army and civilian PSAP interoperability.
• The contract reflects growing defense alignment with national public safety communications standards, positioning military GIS infrastructure as a strategic asset.
• Michael Baker’s prior work on the IGI&S Program and DATAMARK’s statewide GIS deployments provide complementary capabilities in both military and civilian settings.
• Execution risks include GIS maturity disparities across installations, boundary coordination with municipalities, and multi-standard compliance enforcement.
• The project could serve as a model for other branches of the military and international allies pursuing NG9-1-1 GIS modernization.
• For infrastructure investors and technology providers, the initiative highlights the convergence of geospatial analytics, emergency response, and federal resilience planning.