Announcements

APCO is incredibly saddened to report that Mark Spross, RPL, CPE and APCO International’s second vice president, passed away last weekend. Our deepest condolences go out to Mark’s family, friends and fellow team members at METCOM 911.

Make the most of your educational experience at APCO 2024 and purchase the session recordings. You'll get access to all 120 professional development sessions plus a select few sessions will be video recorded this year! Purchase before August 2 to save.

The APCO Institute is offering two pre-conference courses this year at APCO 2024. Choose from Cybersecurity Fundamentals for the ECC or Bullying and Negativity in the Communications Center, 2nd Edition. Both courses will take place on Saturday, August 3, in Orlando, Florida, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are worth 8 CDEs each.  

We are excited to introduce the APCO Career Instructor Program (CIP). This program will establish a structured training pathway for state or locally certified educators to attend APCO’s core course, APCO Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST) 1, 7th Edition, at no cost. Educators are then qualified to teach the PST 1 course to secondary or post-secondary students. The goal of CIP is to ensure that educators across the nation are well-equipped to deliver industry-standard training to the next generation of public safety telecommunicators, providing a solution to the critical staffing needs of ECCs across the country.

July 17 | 2 p.m. ET
Free for all | 1 CDE

On June 12 the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced the beginning of a multi-year process to revise the Standard Occupational Classification. Through this process, OMB will consider whether to change the classification of public safety telecommunicators from the administrative/clerical category to the category for Protective Service Occupations. APCO will hold a webinar July 17 to explain APCO’s strategy for providing input to OMB, how this effort relates to the 9-1-1 SAVES Act and what you can do to help ensure that OMB finally corrects this outdated classification.

July 9 | 2 - 3 p.m. ET
Free for members; $59 for non-members | Worth 1 CDE

This webinar will focus on swatting hoaxes and how they impact emergency communications center (ECC) operations. Discussion topics will include how public safety telecommunicators can identify swatting calls and how departmental policies can help ECCs deal with suspected swatting incidents. Webinar participants will be from the FBI, the ECC community and APCO International.

Presenters: Brian Leblanc, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Heather McGaffin, DC Office of Unified Communications; Crystal Lawrence, APCO, Director CC9S

The APCO Institute has announced pricing changes for its courses, programs and services effective July 1.

June 25 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET
Free for members; $59 for non-members | 1 CDE
Sponsored by Mark43

The demands on dispatchers today have changed significantly from a decade ago. We can safely bet the same will be true in five years as shifting community needs, new generations of dispatchers, and increasing cybersecurity threats all help rewrite the job description. Dispatch software needs to evolve to meet those challenges.

Join us as we bring together a panel of former dispatchers turned CAD software experts who have firsthand experience navigating the complexities of dispatch operations. Drawing from their experience, they’ll discuss the future of CAD systems and how to find an evergreen vendor that’s built for the future.

There is just one week left to register for Nexus! Join us May 29-30 for an interactive walk-through of scenarios from real events and experience the future of emergency communications with NG9-1-1 technologies.

Also taking place on May 29 is the APCO Leadership in Policy Awards dinner. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, a former APCO award recipient, will provide welcome remarks to kick off the evening’s program.

May 30 | 2:00 - 3:00 pm ET
Free for members; $59 for non-members | 1CDE

P25 Link Layer Authentication (LLA) is being heard more and more frequently within the public safety communications community, but there is confusion around what it is, what it does and how it can be implemented in land mobile radio (LMR) systems. Join this session to learn what P25 LLA is – and is not – and how it can limit access to P25 trunked radio systems and provide an extra layer of system security and protection for critical communications networks. 

There are just two weeks left to register for Nexus 2024! This unique event explores how public safety professionals responded to real-world incidents AND the art of the possible when NG9‑1‑1 technology is fully deployed. Scenario discussions will include the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, MD, and the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, TN, among others.

Join us May 29-30 in National Harbor, MD. 

There are just a couple of weeks left to submit your design for the APCO 2024 T-shirt contest! Send us something that represents Florida, Orlando and public safety. Designs will be voted on and the winner’s artwork will be printed on the back of the next APCO conference shirt in Orlando.

It's National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week! We look forward to honoring our PSTs all week and seeing how you all celebrate! It's not too late to enter our contest for the chance to win breakfast or lunch for your ECC.

APCO is looking for subject matter experts to assist with the revision of the following standards:

• Core Competencies and Minimum Training Standards for Emergency Communications Center Supervisor
• Best Practices for ECCs When Processing Vehicle Telematics Calls from Telematics Service Providers
• Core Competencies, Operational Factors, and Training for Next Generation Technologies in the Emergency Communications Center (ECC)

The deadline to apply is May 5.

Register for APCO 2024 today and save $100 on your full conference registration. We can't wait to see you in Orlando! 

Calling all designers and artists! We want you to create our next conference shirt. Produce an original design that incorporates the host city Orlando and/or the state of Florida, and the spirit of APCO International and emergency communications. Designs will be voted on and the winner’s artwork will be printed on the back of the next APCO conference shirt in Orlando. The deadline to submit is May 6.

APCO is seeking a host committee chairperson for APCO 2025 taking place in Baltimore, MD on July 27-July 30, 2025. We are currently accepting nominations with the following requirements:

• Nominations must include a letter of interest from the candidate, a letter of support from the candidate’s employer (if the candidate is retired, this item is not required) and letters of recommendation from the candidate’s executive council representative and chapter president. If the candidate is either the executive council representative or president for the Chapter, the candidate will then provide a letter of support from the immediate past president of the chapter or a vice president of the chapter.
• Only APCO members in the “Full Member” category, who are in good standing, and who represent no commercial interest as defined in the membership policy, shall be eligible to serve as the conference host committee chair.

Please submit your complete nomination to Patricia Giannini Henry at henryp@apcointl.org. The deadline for submission is May 1, 2024.  

Improving 9-1-1 Staff Performance & Retention: Why Targeted Quality Assurance is Essential
May 22 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET
Free for members; $59 for non-members | 1 CDE
Sponsored by NICE

Attend this webinar to learn:

• Best practices from several accomplished 9-1-1 directors that you can put into practice to close the revolving door
• Tips for automating everyday manual tasks so supervisors can get more time back in their day to mentor, coach and support staff
• Why a consistent, targeted Quality Assurance & Improvement (QA/QI) program is essential to helping telecommunicators succeed, and stay on the job
• How to leverage targeted QA reviews, and call handling and dispatch performance metrics to uncover coachable moments, performance issues, training gaps and recognition opportunities, and help telecommunicators before they slide too far down the slippery slope

If you haven't already, take some time to enter our NPSTW contest to win $100 for your ECC! Tell us about the movie that represents your center.

Check out the entries we have received so far and vote on your favorites.

APCO is seeking participants to create a Minimum Technical Requirements for Remote Support to Emergency Communications Center Operations standard. This ANS will define the minimum requirements used in an emergency evacuation situation or a stay-at-home order where separated operation and administrative staff are required. The deadline to sign up is April 1.

APCO seeks volunteers for the revision of the following two standards:

• Core Competencies and Minimum Training Standards for Public Safety Communications Instructor. The revision seeks to identify the fundamental skills and minimum training prerequisites for those tasked with instructing personnel in the emergency communications center (ECC). Learn more
• Core Competencies and Minimum Training Standards for Public Safety Communications Quality Assurance Evaluators. This revision seeks to identify the fundamental skills and minimum training prerequisites for those tasked with evaluating the quality of work performed by an ECC. Learn more

The deadline to participate for both standards is March 24.

The contest for NPSTW 2024 (April 14-20) is now open! For this year’s contest, we’re asking you to name the movie for your comm center and give us a plot summary, then let us know why you chose it. In place of trailers, send us a picture of your team. The deadline to submit is April 22.

The deadline for APCO CPE Scholarships is just one week away. If you are looking for financial assistance to participate in APCO’s Certified Public-Safety Executive Program, complete your application by February 15.

The 9-1-1 Wellness Summit is just one week away! There's still time to register and join us on February 6 in Atlanta. 

February 13 | 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET

Join this course designed by cybersecurity experts and ECC professionals to gain essential knowledge on how cyberattacks impact ECCs. Explore the anatomy of cyberattacks, identify signs of ongoing attacks and master mitigation techniques. The curriculum also covers preparation for ECCs for cyber threats, effective response strategies, and safeguarding critical data for post-attack forensics. $288 for APCO members; $332 for non-members. Worth 8 CDEs. Registration closes soon.

We are excited to announce a new membership category for students and educators. This new membership category is intended to increase an interested student’s exposure to the public safety communications industry through APCO membership benefits, training and events. Help us spread the word and share this with your partners.

Register now to join us for the inaugural 9-1-1 Wellness Summit, taking place February 6 in Atlanta, GA.

Gain valuable insights into stress and trauma management at the 9-1-1 Wellness Summit. Learn how these factors impact you and your team while acquiring practical tools to maintain optimal well-being. Our expert instructors will equip you with strategies to mitigate stress and trauma, allowing you to better save lives and live well.

APCO's ECC awards recognize public safety communications personnel who have demonstrated the highest levels of personal and professional conduct and performance in the line of duty. Technology Leadership awards recognize centers for their use of technological advancements and the demonstrated benefit received to their employees and the citizens they serve. Nominations close April 1.

Happy to holidays to you and yours from everyone at APCO.

APCO seeks comments for two candidate American National Standards:

• Public Safety Communications Incident Handling Process
• Non-9-1-1 Call Processing and Dispatch

The comment period is open from December 15 - January 29.

The deadline to submit a proposal for the APCO 2024 call for speakers is quickly approaching. Apply by 11:59 p.m. ET on December 13 to be considered for a one-hour presentation within our professional development program.

Please anticipate a brief downtime between 8pm to 9pm ET (5-6pm PT) while infrastructure maintenance is performed on PSConnect Wednesday, December 6. We apologize for the disruption and appreciate your patience.

The latest edition of PSC magazine is out. Key articles include:

• Back on Track: Responding to derailments
• Refuge From Disorder: The realities of evacuation in response to civil disturbances
• Death Wish: How PSTs can recognize and respond when criminal subjects want police to end their life.

PSC magazine, in either print or digital form, is a benefit of APCO membership.

We are thankful for each and every one of our members and all you do for your communities. Happy Thanksgiving from everyone at APCO!

APCO is launching a grassroots advocacy campaign and needs your support. 

For several years, APCO has sought to correct the federal classification of 9-1-1 professionals by reclassifying them as Protective Service Occupations as opposed to Office and Administrative Support Occupations. Now, momentum is building in the House for a simple legislative fix with the reintroduction of the 9-1-1 SAVES Act (H.R. 6319). APCO is seeking the assistance of its members and others. We’re asking you to TAKE ACTION - Ask your U.S. Representatives to co-sponsor the 9-1-1 SAVES Act.

TAKE ACTION and use APCO’s advocacy portal to send a letter asking for support to get this bill through the House, and please share the link widely with colleagues: https://www.apcointl.org/advocacy/take-action/. 

For more information, visit APCO’s reclassification page: https://apcointl.org/soc.

Articles featured in this issue:

Registration is now open for APCO’s new event, the 9-1-1 Wellness Summit! Join us February 6 in Atlanta, GA, for strategies and tools to mitigate stress and trauma, allowing you to better save lives and live well. 

Post your job openings in APCO's Career Center and connect with thousands of qualified applicants within public safety communications.

APCO members receive a discount on job postings. 

We are looking for innovative, engaging, inspiring and informative individuals to speak at APCO 2024, taking place August 4-7 in Orlando, Florida. Submit your application for a one-hour presentation in one of our ten professional development tracks.

The deadline to submit is December 13 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

October 31 - November 1
Worth 16 CDEs
This course explores technologies in a comprehensive, end-to-end way that aligns with the emerging consensus reached by the nation’s leading organizations in the field. Among the key concepts included in the course are the important role of interoperability in the success of NG9-1-1, the need for reliability, redundancy, and cybersecurity, and the new opportunities next generation technologies will offer ECCs to enhance their operations.

This October, APCO offers comprehensive cybersecurity training developed specifically for emergency communications centers.  The courses are conducted by cybersecurity experts and industry professionals on the issues and solutions for cybersecurity threats to your agency and specific training on how to safeguard your emergency communications center.  The two courses are on-site in Daytona Beach, Florida, at APCO headquarters. Register to reserve your seat now. 

Course 1:
Cybersecurity Fundamentals for the ECC

Date: October 24 | Worth 8 CDEs

Course 2:

Intermediate Cybersecurity Principles for the ECC

Dates: October 25 - 26 | Worth 16 CDEs

September 20  |  1:00 p.m. ET
Free for members | Worth 1 CDE

Cloud adoption is on the rise in emergency communications centers across the U.S., but is it right for your agency?

In this webinar, Leah Hornacek, Hexagon sales manager and former 9-1-1 deputy director, will share the benefits of moving to the cloud to help you determine if it’s the right approach for your agency.

Sponsored by Hexagon

Eligible members may vote online or at the APCO 2023 voting booth until Tuesday, August 8, 2023, at 2:15 p.m. Central Time. Results will be announced at APCO 2023 during the second general business session, Tuesday, August 8, at 4:15 p.m. Central Time.