This week, APCO President Cheryl Greathouse and Executive Director and CEO Derek Poarch sent an urgent message asking that members take immediate action to ensure the federal government reclassifies Public Safety Telecommunicators as "Protective" occupations, placing them alongside other public safety occupations as opposed to the current classification with secretaries and taxicab dispatchers. They asked members, colleagues, and supporters to Take Action by:
- Relating a story to the federal officials that illustrates the protective work performed by 9-1-1 professionals
(see our simple guide to filing comments, which are due before September 20); and
- Asking Congress to join the fight.
To win this fight, we need thousands of responses. Time is running out. Please take action today and encourage your colleagues to do the same. More information about the reclassification process and useful resources are available at APCO's website, and our staff is here to answer any questions – gro@apcointl.org.
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There is still time to volunteer for one of the recently formed new task forces:
- Committee Enhancement Initiative Phase 4 Task Force
- Membership Benefits Task Force
- Non-Traditional PSAP Task Force
- Aging in the PSAP Task Force
Those interested in participating can fill out an application. The deadline is September 15. Learn more.
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Active Shooter Webinar Series, Part I
What We Have Learned: Key Elements of an Active Shooter Incident
September 13 | 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. ET
In 2006, Lancaster County was the site of the Nickel Mines Amish school shooting, during which a man shot eight young girls, killing five of them, before committing suicide. Matt Shenk, who serves as Supervisor of Lancaster (PA) County-Wide Communications - the jurisdiction in which the tragedy occurred - will discuss the history of active shooter incidents and present the findings of extensive research that he and his fellow APCO Institute Adjunct Instructors have conducted over the years on the subject. Learn more.
Evaluating NG9-1-1 Voice & Radio Solutions
September 28 | 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. ET
The Whitcom Regional 911 Communications Center in Pullman, Washington, faces a number of unique challenges. Whitcom supports over 70 agencies across a broad and rural geographic area — including fire, law enforcement, EMS, two universities, and most recently, a sovereign nation. In this webinar, Whitcom’s director Patti Kelly will discuss the process of evaluating and selecting NG9-1-1 ready logger and radio console solutions that integrate not only with their current communications equipment, but also with the equipment Whitcom will need to acquire in the future. She will share lessons learned and provide tips for centers going through the same evaluation process. Learn more.
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Eric currently serves as the local frequency advisor for the state of Iowa. He serves as Secretary of the 700 and 800 regional 15 planning committees in Iowa. Eric holds a General Radio Telephone FCC license, APCO Radio Telephone Technician Certificate (1986), Amateur Extra radio license and a Private pilot certificate.
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KEYT-TV
Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1564 into law on Monday. The bill was authored by Assembly member Das Williams, (D) Santa Barbara. The bill states that a 9-1-1 call from a cell phone be routed directly to a local police department dispatch center. Currently, depending on the cell phone carrier, 9-1-1 calls are routed to a cell tower with multiple antennas. In some cases, if an emergency call is made in Santa Barbara County, calls are routed to a California Highway Patrol office in Ventura, nearly 30 miles away. The issue was affecting response times and causing confusion for emergency crews.
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The Cross Timbers Gazette
The Denco Area 9-1-1 District wants to notify business owners about a new law requiring multi-line telephone systems (MLTS) in Texas to provide direct-dial access to 9-1-1 without having to dial an additional digit such as 9 before getting an outside line.
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Portland Tribune
Washington County is among the areas where text-to-9-1-1 messages will be accepted. Eight agencies in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington began the service last week.
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ABC10
Two Folsom kids were recently honored for their bravery when making a call to 9-1-1 dispatchers. The California Office of Emergency Services and 9-1-1 for kids presented Xavier Benavidez, 12, and Delaney Noel, 8, with a medal and certificate during the Day of Preparedness event in Old Sacramento.
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