Mission Critical Partners Releases 2026 State of the Public Safety Market Report

New MAPS^® Report Highlights Growing Complexity, Staffing Pressures and the Urgent Need for Modernization Across Public Safety

State College, Pa. (April 23, 2026) — Mission Critical Partners (MCP) today announced the release of its 2026 State of the Market Report, the fourth edition of its proprietary MAPS^® (Model for Advancing Public Safety) research.

The report draws on hundreds of assessments conducted with state and local public safety organizations across the United States since August 2022. It provides a comprehensive view of where agencies currently stand, and where risks, gaps and opportunities are emerging, across nine critical areas:

• Land Mobile Radio (LMR)
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Mapping for Public Safety
• Next Generation 911 (NG911)
• Understanding ECC Operations
• Understanding Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) for Public Safety
• Workforce Optimization for Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs)
• Modernizing Emergency Management for Public Safety
• AI for Public Safety Staffing
• Public Safety Technology

The MAPS^® methodology combines quantitative scoring with expert‑led qualitative assessments, producing color‑coded blueprints that identify low‑, medium‑, and high‑risk areas and inform tailored recommendations. The resulting insights help public safety leaders prioritize investments, mitigate risk, and plan sustainable modernization strategies.

Key findings from the 2026 State of the Market Report include:

• Staffing shortages remain the top challenge, fueling burnout, slowing modernization, and increasing operational risk.
• AI adoption is expanding, especially in call handling and analytics, though concerns around reliability and governance persist.
• Operational complexity is outpacing preparedness, highlighting the need for strategic planning, lifecycle funding, and cross‑agency coordination.
• NG911 progress is growing but uneven, constrained by gaps in governance, funding, cybersecurity, and GIS readiness.
• Aging LMR systems strain reliability and budgets, while hybrid LMR‑cellular, private 5G, and satellite solutions gain traction.

“Public safety leaders are operating in an environment defined by rising expectations, increasing complexity, and persistent resource constraints,” said Darrin Reilly, President & CEO of Mission Critical Partners. “Our 2026 State of the Market Report makes one thing clear: agencies that succeed in this environment are those that approach technology, staffing, governance, and funding as integrated systems, not isolated challenges. This latest report provides leaders with a practical, data‑driven framework to understand where they are today and how to move forward with confidence.”

The 2026 MAPS^® State of the Market Report is available now and is intended to serve as both a snapshot of current conditions and a roadmap for public safety organizations seeking to strengthen resilience, performance, and long‑term sustainability.

To access the report, click here.