On March 12, 2026, Congresswoman Laura Friedman rolled out a $1,031,000 federal boost aimed at giving Glendale's Verdugo Fire Communications Center the tech makeover it has been waiting for. The cash is earmarked to swap out aging dispatch consoles and beef up the 9-1-1 hub's digital backbone, so fire and EMS crews can be sent out faster when calls spike. The Verdugo center handles emergency calls for 13 cities across Los Angeles County and hit a staggering 2,121 incoming calls on the first day of the Eaton Fire.
The funding announcement came at a press event, with a recording posted on YouTube. The exact $1,031,000 allocation also appears in the House Appropriations Committee print for Fiscal Year 2026, where it is listed under the Department of Justice COPS Technology program as "Verdugo Communications Center Equipment Upgrades."
What the money will buy
According to a member certification and project request filed by Representative Friedman, the money is slated to modernize interoperable emergency communications, replace dispatch consoles, and expand network capacity to handle Next Generation 911 features like text-to-911 and digital alerting. The request outlines technology upgrades and equipment purchases designed to keep the system running without interruption during peak demand and large-scale incidents, according to Rep. Friedman’s office. The Verdugo Center serves more than 944,000 residents across 13 cities, according to the City of Glendale.
Local leaders at the announcement
Friedman shared the podium with Glendale Mayor Ara Najarian, Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, Glendale Fire Chief Jeff Brooks, and Burbank Fire Chief Danny Alvarez, alongside other local elected officials and first responders who turned out for the event. Assemblymember Jessica Caloza labeled the funding "a win for local taxpayers," calling the investment critical for updating dispatch technology, according to Van Nuys News Press.
Why upgrades matter
The Verdugo Center was pushed to its limits during the January 7, 2025, Eaton Fire, logging 2,121 calls in a single day. That kind of surge exposed weak points in older dispatch systems and turned the blaze into a stress test for local emergency communications. The Eaton Fire prompted state and federal responses and underscored why upgrades to consoles, network capacity, and NextGen 911 features are now on the priority list, according to CAL FIRE.
Friedman cast the $1,031,000 as a down payment on bigger preparations for the 2026 World Cup, the 2028 Olympics, and the kind of long fire season residents have come to expect. She also made it clear she plans to keep chasing federal dollars. "Let me be clear: this is just the start," she said at the announcement, per Van Nuys News Press.
