This week, APCO Board Member Jack Varnado and Chief Counsel Jeff Cohen joined NENA representatives and other state and local 9-1-1 and law enforcement officials to meet with House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, Senator Bill Cassidy, and staff for Senators John Kennedy and Ted Budd to discuss key legislative priorities for 9-1-1. The group sought support for federal legislation to fund NG9-1-1 nationwide, the 9-1-1 SAVES Act to appropriately categorize public safety telecommunications as a “protective service occupation,” and the PROTECT 9-1-1 Act to address the significant mental health challenges facing 9-1-1 professionals.
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On March 21, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing titled “Spectrum and National Security” to examine the need to reinstate the Federal Communications Commission’s spectrum auction authority and other policy issues. During the hearing, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) referenced a recent letter from the Public Safety Next Generation 9-1-1 Coalition (which includes APCO and associations representing law enforcement, fire and EMS) and highlighted the importance of using revenue from federal spectrum auctions to fund the nationwide transition to NG9-1-1.
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Deadlines are approaching for several APCO programs:
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On March 27, 2023, a mass shooting occurred at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. This scenario at Nexus 2024, taking place May 29-30 in National Harbor, Maryland, will discuss the impacts of the shooting on the Nashville 9-1-1 center, how current technology assisted in the response and the art of the possible with NG9-1-1 technology.
Learn more and register
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On March 21, APCO filed comments with the National Science Foundation regarding the development of a National Spectrum R&D Plan (R&D Plan). Building off of the National Spectrum Strategy, the R&D Plan will serve as a guidance document for federal investments in spectrum-related research. APCO highlighted public safety’s unique need for reliable, interference-free access to spectrum and recommended that the R&D Plan prioritize research on interference mitigation. APCO also suggested the R&D Plan include research and development on spectrum sharing technologies and prioritize real-world testing when evaluating spectrum sharing mechanisms to ensure they are effective at protecting public safety communications.
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We have loved seeing the creative submissions coming in for this year's NPSTW contest! It's time to vote for your favorites and submit your own entry if you haven't already. We can't wait to celebrate you during NPSTW, April 14-20.
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APCO International is seeking a Host Committee Chairperson for APCO 2025, taking place in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 27-July 30, 2025. We are currently accepting nominations and you can find complete information regarding the nomination requirements on PSConnect. Please submit your complete nomination to: Patricia Giannini Henry at henryp@apcointl.org. The deadline for submission is May 1, 2024.
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King 5
In behavior health emergencies, the city can call on six community crisis responders who work in pairs and are dispatched with police or take over from police after they were originally dispatched.
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Gettysburg Times
Maxwell Nease of the Adams County (Pennsylvania) Department of Emergency Services was recognized for giving CPR instructions during a cardiac arrest call, leading to resuscitation of the victim.
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22 WWLP.com
The new facility, which increases space for public safety telecommunicators from the current nine to 27, will serve five communities and the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department.
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[Originally published in the March/April 2024 PSC magazine.]
As public safety telecommunicators, it is difficult to explain to our loved ones what we do throughout the course of our day and, sometimes, we just don’t want to talk about it. We may be unable to articulate the physical and mental demands of this unique career and how these demands affect us and our loved ones on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Our ECC management team recognized the importance of helping telecommunicators connect the dots between work and personal life, and launched our “Bring Someone to Work Day” program.
Read more
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