The first general session of APCO’s Annual Conference & Expo was held Sunday afternoon in a crowded ballroom at the Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Many members are still arriving due to delays related to the disruption of airline travel in the northeast on Saturday when radar systems in Washington and Virginia shut down for several hours. However, organizers expect the conference to be well-attended.

The general session produced some lively debate on an upcoming resolution vote, impassioned speeches from two candidates vying for Second Vice President, and a timely legislative update.

 

Here are some key items of note from the general session.

 

Ten members of APCO were unanimously approved as Lifetime Members of the organization. They are: Carol Adams, Bill Agee, Karen Allen, Angela Bowen, Stephen Devine, David Diamond, Ernest Gallo, Bill Keller, Joseph Parrino and Holly Wayt.

"I think it’s an honor," said Allen, who has been an APCO member for more than 15 years. "I’ve enjoyed my time being a member of APCO and I’ve enjoyed my committee work, which I think is the part I’ve gotten the most out of this -- being involved in creating a lot of standards. And it’s meant a lot being able to help others in the public safety community."

Allen said attending the APCO conference can be extremely beneficial for members.

"I think there’s a lot of good information that you can learn from your peers and others in this community," Allen said. "It can help you learn how to be a better public safety communications official. There’s always new technology that’s hard to keep up with just reading, so being able to sit in a class and ask questions, hear things firsthand, hear comments from other people, it just helps enhance your knowledge."  

 

The FCC is currently involved in several regulatory actions that affect public safety communications over the past year. Among them: location accuracy with 911, 911 governance and accountability, and Text-to-911.

The FCC adopted an order earlier this year with new rules substantially based on APCO’s proposal. Jeff Cohen, chief counsel and director of government relations for APCO, said the organization remains committed to a forward-thinking approach of Text-to-911 that makes sure texts are delivered with actionable location information and supports Text-to-911 while roaming as quickly as possible, accommodates future and multi-media texting services, and balances the challenges staffs will face to operationalize these additional forms of communication.

 

There will be several opportunities this week for APCO members to meet and hear from members of the FCC. 

On Monday at Noon (APCO Pavilion, Exhibit Hall), there will be a "Meet and Greet" with the FCC, mostly from the public safety division. 

Tuesday, 1:30 p.m. (Room 152 A-B): There will be an FCC Update Conference session, which will include the public safety bureau chief and deputy chief, and a group of senior managers.

Wednesday: FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler will speak during a luncheon.

Cohen said being in D.C. where the FCC’s headquarters are located – and giving members a chance to speak with FCC officials— could have great benefits for APCO.

"I think that hearing directly from the 911 professionals is the best way for them to appreciate the policy considerations as they conduct their proceedings at the FCC," Cohen said. "Getting the ground truth and hearing from the people that are in the jobs on a daily basis, there’s nothing better than that. There’s no substitute. Talking to the people, especially APCO members who are total professionals, is a great opportunity."

Several resolutions are scheduled to be voted upon during the second general business meeting later this week. The one that generated the most discussion was Resolution No. 4, which pertains to the Board of Directors. Currently, a candidate for First Vice President and Second Vice President shall be elected by a simple majority of the votes cast by members – even if they are unopposed. A vote will be taken in the final general session on whether that rule should be changed.

Two members are vying for the position of Second Vice President. Martha Carter and JJ McFarland each had 6 minutes Sunday afternoon to address members and give their reasons why they should be elected to the position.

Carter, who has been a member of the association for more than 26 years, said she was thrilled to see so many see faces attending the conference, which is a sign the group is growing, but she said what’s key is how to grow, while continuing to meet the needs of those long-time members. She noted the association recently went over the 25,000 mark.

"With that comes a responsibility that we engage and keep our members," Carter said. 

Said McFarland: "I am APCO proud, and I want you to be APCO proud." 

Both candidates asked members to exercise their right to vote.