The Georgia chapter of the Government Management Information Sciences has awarded Cobb County its Government to Citizens (G2C) award.
This recognition recognizes the GMIS member agency whose informational technology (IT) project exhibits the best example of G2C collaborating and serving other entities, according to a county statement.
To achieve smart city status, Cobb’s IT department identified a series of “digital stops” where efficiencies for old workflows are enhanced, new services are created and opportunities for collaboration are sought out and implemented.
Examples include:
- Cobb's new web portal,
- the Emergency Locator Marker system,
- the continued enhancement of the Cobb Department of Transportation (DOT)'s Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and
- a new automated workflow for fire hydrant inspections.
For instance, regarding the Emergency Locator Marker system, Cobb Emergency Management Agency Director Cassie Mazloom has said, “We’ve had officers and firefighters that have had to walk up to two miles carrying someone on a stretcher, and that was a wake-up call for us that this was desperately needed.”
“Cobb’s five-year digital strategy calls for us to continue our journey to become a Smart County,” said Sharon Stanley, director of the Cobb Information Services Department. “A smart community attracts smart businesses which brings in additional jobs for our citizens and increased revenue for our county.”
Cobb County departments and agencies - such as Cobb DOT, Police and Fire, E911, Communications, Information Services, the Emergency Management Agency and Community Development - have worked together to share their business systems and data in new and imaginative ways, she said in a county statement.
Cobb also has worked with state and federal organizations - like the Georgia Department of Transportation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - to realize its Smart County strategy.
“Becoming a Smart County will allow Cobb to better serve its citizens and improve the efficiency of the workforce,” said Ed Biggs, division director for Cobb’s Technical Operations. “This Smart County journey does not end soon, and the county is looking forward to implementing our next ‘digital stops.’”
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