Speakers

Heather McGaffin began her public safety career at sixteen when she became a volunteer EMT with her local fire department and rescue squad. She has over 30 years of public and private sector experience in the industry, including as field responder and public safety communications expert.

In 2005, Director McGaffin joined the Calvert Control Center in Calvert County, Maryland as a 911 call taker, working through the ranks as a dispatcher, shift supervisor, trainer, manager, and eventually Deputy Director. From 2015 – 2020, she served as a consultant for a national public safety firm where she led projects to help emergency operations centers, localities, and state governments in restructuring, training development and implementation, and Next Generation 911 implementation.

Director McGaffin joined OUC in October 2020 as the Chief of Special Operations and Investigations and became the Deputy Director in February of 2022. In February 2023, Mayor Muriel Bowser appointed her to lead the DC Office of Unified Communications. In her tenure she has led the agency through several major events; improved performance and technology; decreased vacancies; and obtained accreditation.

Heather also serves as the Chair of the National Capital Region 911 Directors Committee and the co-chair of the Next Generation 9-1-1 Institute. She is a proud member of APCO, NENA, IJIS and serves on several industry boards.