Momentum continues to build for the 911 SAVES Act, a bill that would reclassify public safety telecommunicators as "protective" (rather than "clerical") occupations in the federal Standard Occupational Classification. There are now 15 U.S. Representatives sponsoring the bill. This week, APCO staff met with key congressional offices to discuss next steps for building support and introduction of a companion bill in the Senate. Please continue promoting the Take Action link for APCO's advocacy campaign to grow support in the House of Representatives and stay tuned for further updates. 

NPSTW 2019 (April 14-20) is only a few weeks away. Here are some things you can do now to get ready:

• Find ideas for recognizing your team or tell others what you have planned.
• Download our sample proclamation and letter to send to local officials.
• Enter our contest to win $100 toward lunch for your team.
• Read all the entries in our contest and vote for your favorites by liking their posts.

The Washington, DC, area is beautiful in the spring! Find out for yourself when you attend the Broadband Summit and Leader's Dinner in Arlington, Va., in May.

The Public Safety Broadband Summit, being held May 21-22, is the premier opportunity to discuss the latest technology advancements impacting public safety communications. Recently announced, our day one keynote will be David J. Redl, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and Administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. See the program.

At the Public Safety Communications Leadership in Policy Awards Dinner, being held the evening of May 21, APCO recognizes individuals who have been tireless, continuing advocates for public safety communications. See the winners and attend the dinner.

ECC Performance Metrics & Reporting Best Practices
March 28, 2019 | 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. ET
Participants will get:

• An introduction to the new APCO KPI Workgroup, its goals and progress.
• Summary and interpretation of results from a nationwide ECC performance metrics benchmarking survey of 9-1-1 centers.
• Best practices on how to significantly reduce the work involved in compiling and tracking performance metrics.
• An understanding of how your ECC can benefit from sharper operational insights by using innovative technology to break down silos and bring data together.
• Tips on what to look for in their next performance reporting solution.

Register now

Sponsored by NICE Public Safety

For 9-1-1 calls placed from indoors, wireless carriers will be required to provide either a dispatchable location (the “door to kick down”), which is strongly favored by APCO, or a vertical location estimate (known as the “z-axis”) expressed in meters. Specific to the z-axis option, on March 15, the FCC sought comment on whether it should require a vertical location estimate to be accurate to within, plus or minus three meters of the caller.

APCO has continued to advocate that indoor 9-1-1 location information must be actionable for 9-1-1 professionals: if a dispatchable location is not provided, then a z-axis estimate should be provided as an actual floor number (rather than a vertical estimate relative to sea level or ground level). Per APCO’s suggestion, the FCC has included a question asking whether wireless carriers should be required to identify the floor level of a 9-1-1 caller when reporting z-axis information to emergency communications centers. Read the FCC’s proposal.

Vector Security Is First Alarm Company to Go Live With Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) in Roanoke, VA

First Field Instrument Providing 3D Indoor and Outdoor Coverage Mapping for 5G NR Introduced by Anritsu