In 1998, the “CAD system” Marty Crum used wasn’t a sleek interface with predictive mapping. It was a DOS-based version of CAD that ran within Windows 3.1. There were no mouse functions (just keyboard), no drag-and-drop, and no room for error. You created the incident, you sent the unit, and you prayed the technology held up.
Over the next 26 years, Marty wore almost every hat available in Emergency Communications Centers: Dispatcher, TAC, Operations Manager, GIS Specialist, and IT Director. He watched public safety technology evolve from green text on heavy CRT monitors to the sophisticated, interoperable ecosystem of Caliber Public Safety’s CAD NG.
But in November 2024, after more than two decades of service, Marty didn’t just retire. He switched seats. He joined the Caliber Public Safety team as a Support Specialist.
Why would a veteran operations manager leave to work for a software vendor? For Marty, the answer comes down to one word: Support.
The Ransomware Test
Every agency administrator fears the day the screens go dark. For Marty’s agency, that day came in April 2020. A ransomware attack hit the communications center, locking up systems and threatening to cripple their ability to respond.
“It’s the sickest feeling you can have in your stomach,” Marty recalls. “People who had never used pen and paper were suddenly having to dispatch manually.”
It was in that chaos that Marty saw the true character of his software partner. The Caliber team didn’t just file a ticket; they went to the trenches alongside him.
“The team was on it around the clock,” Marty says. “We were back up and creating CAD calls in four days. The only reason we recovered that fast was the support we got from our vendor.”
That experience planted a seed. Marty realized that while he loved serving his local community, he could have a broader impact by supporting the technology that hundreds of agencies rely on.
The Translator
Today, when a dispatcher or administrator submits a support ticket to Caliber, there’s a good chance it lands on Marty’s desk. And unlike a standard IT technician, Marty doesn’t just know the code; he knows the context.
“Having come from the customer side, when a customer explains a problem, I don’t just hear the technical issue. I know exactly what that stress feels like during a shift,” Marty notes.
He bridges the gap between “dispatcher speak” and “developer speak.” Whether it’s troubleshooting an MSAG error or explaining a map layer issue, Marty approaches every ticket with the urgency of a 911 call.
“It’s taken me a long time to get out of the mindset that every ticket is a 911 emergency that must be fixed in seconds,” he laughs. “But that drive is still there. I want to get them the answer because I’ve been in their chair.”
Building the Tools He Wanted
One of the unique aspects of Marty’s career is that he is now supporting features he helped invent. As a customer, Marty was an active participant in Caliber Concepts, an innovation hub where users suggest and vote on new features.
“I have two or three features in CAD right now that started as my ideas,” Marty says.
One of those features (adding the Last Modified Timestamp to all tables within the Admin Console) was born from his frustration as an administrator trying to figure out “who broke my stuff.”
Another is a mileage rule used to track unit mileage for reporting purposes.
“Caliber didn’t ask me to pay for that development,” he explains. “They listened, the community voted, and they built it. Now, I get to support the very tools I asked for.”
A Partner, Not Just a Vendor
Marty’s journey from a volunteer rescue squad member in 1991 to a Caliber Support Specialist in 2026 highlights a fundamental truth about public safety technology: it’s about people. Software is code, but solutions are built by people who understand the mission.
“I’m not a sales guy. I don’t do high pressure,” Marty says. “Helping others is what I do. It’s who I am. Support is my thing. I supported my responders for years. Now, it just seems right that I go on to support an even larger group by being here at Caliber.”