Behind the Scenes of the FIFA World Cup: How Unify™ Hub Is Helping New Jersey’s First Responders Prepare for the Biggest Match of the Year

When fans pack New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) for the FIFA World Cup Final, they’ll see world-class athletes competing on one of soccer’s biggest stages.

What they won’t see is the extensive planning taking place behind the scenes to help keep everyone safe.

Across northern New Jersey, emergency communications centers, hospitals and EMS agencies have spent months preparing for one of the region’s largest public safety operations. From coordinating emergency medical resources for international visitors and dignitaries to supporting team training sites, hotels and transportation hubs, success depends on one thing above all else: communication.

That’s where CentralSquare Unify™ (CAD-to-CAD) comes in.

Connecting Emergency Response Across the Region

The Regional Emergency Medical Communications System (REMCS), operated by University Hospital EMS in Newark, serves as a critical communications hub for emergency medical services throughout northern New Jersey.

Its responsibilities extend well beyond the City of Newark. REMCS dispatches EMS resources serving Newark Liberty International Airport, the Port of Newark and Port Elizabeth, multiple municipal fire departments, New Jersey’s air medical services and statewide specialty response teams.

Through a federally funded Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), REMCS partnered with neighboring agencies to create a regional interoperability network using CentralSquare Unify™ (CAD-to-CAD).

Today, six emergency communications centers across seven counties are connected, allowing dispatchers to securely share incident information, coordinate resources and improve situational awareness across jurisdictional boundaries, even when agencies use different computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems.

More Than a World Cup Solution

While the FIFA World Cup has put the region’s emergency preparedness in the spotlight, the technology isn’t reserved for large-scale events.

Dispatchers use Unify™ (CAD-to-CAD). Every shift.

The platform enables agencies to coordinate mutual aid, identify available EMS resources, reduce duplicate ambulance responses and share real-time incident information across jurisdictional boundaries.

Instead of operating in silos, neighboring communications centers can quickly determine which resources are already responding, coordinate assignments and ensure responders have the latest incident information before arriving on scene.

The result is more efficient emergency response, better situational awareness and improved coordination for both dispatchers and field personnel.

Supporting One of the World’s Largest Sporting Events

Northern New Jersey has already supported multiple FIFA World Cup matches, international team training facilities, official hotels and visiting dignitaries, with the World Cup Final bringing another major public safety operation to the region.

To prepare, University Hospital EMS established a dedicated EMS Operations Center staffed by dispatch personnel, New Jersey Department of Health officials and EMS Task Force planning teams. The center also coordinates directly with FDNY through an interstate mutual aid agreement for significant incidents.

With Unify™ (CAD-to-CAD), participating agencies share a common operational picture, allowing emergency communications centers to coordinate resources more effectively as situations evolve.

Improving Response Every Day

Although events like the FIFA World Cup demonstrate the value of interoperability on a national stage, some of the system’s greatest impact happens during everyday emergencies.

The regional network is used daily to coordinate EMS resources and has already supported responses involving patient evacuations, hazardous materials incidents and multi-patient traffic accidents.

It also streamlines communication with hospitals by providing earlier notification of significant incidents, giving healthcare teams additional time to activate surge plans and prepare for incoming patients.

Whether supporting a major international event or a routine emergency response, the goal remains the same: ensuring the right information reaches the right people at the right time.

A Regional Success Story

One message remained consistent throughout the development of the project: success has been driven by collaboration.

The interoperability network represents years of partnership among EMS agencies, county communications centers, hospital systems, state officials and technology partners working toward a shared goal of improving emergency response across northern New Jersey.

Today, six agencies are already connected, with additional organizations continuing implementation.

As more agencies join the network, CentralSquare Unify™ (CAD-to-CAD) is helping create a more connected emergency response ecosystem. One built not only for global events like the FIFA World Cup, but for the everyday emergencies that communities rely on first responders to manage.