Archive of the Policy & Law Category

The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International today released for comment a standard to identify minimum training requirements for public safety telecommunicators. The revision includes information for those typically charged with receiving, processing, transmitting, and conveying public safety information to dispatchers, law enforcement officers, fire fighters, emergency medical and emergency management personnel. This document seeks to define training in certain knowledge, skills, and abilities to be provided to telecommunicators by the agency, allowing different agencies to comply with the portions of the standard applicable to the functions within their agency.

The revisions were facilitated by APCO International’s Call Center Standards Committee, which is made up of public safety communications subject matter experts from across the U.S. The Georgia Public Safety Training Center compiled the research the committee conducted through regional Occupational Analysis Workshops over the past year to assist with the revisions. The Workshops consisted of consulting multiple panels of professionals representing each position and validation panels of each were conducted to produce job profile charts.

“APCO International is proud of the work of this committee to continually review and update this most important standard for our public safety professionals,” APCO International President Chris Fischer said. “The issue of standardized training for telecommunicators has been the topic of much discussion lately and we are glad to provide this benchmark for the industry through our inclusive and iterative standardization process.”

The draft is available for public review and comment through July 30 at www.apcostandards.org . After all comments are addressed and needed changes made, the final draft will be presented to the APCO International Executive Council for ratification. Following their approval, the final document will be facilitated through APCO International’s American National Standards (ANS) process to become an American National Standards Institute- (ANSI) approved standard. The final standard is tentatively planned to receive approval in December 2009.

April 14, 2009, Alexandria, Va. – The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International today released two public service announcements as a part of their campaign to educate the public about the proper use of 9-1-1. These public service announcements, released for broadcast during National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, use humor to address two very serious issues plaguing the 9-1-1 system — the misuse of 9-1-1 for non-emergencies and the challenges associated with calling 9-1-1 from mobile phones.

APCO International recognizes the second full week of April as National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. This week, celebrated annually, honors the thousands of men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life saving assistance to the citizens of the U.S.

“The importance of recognizing and celebrating the hard work of these dedicated professionals at every level is immeasurable,” APCO International President Chris Fischer said. “We truly believe that a large part of this involves providing the public with a greater understanding of and appreciation for the work of these talented and dedicated professionals and the challenges they face everyday in their efforts to protect the lives and property of the citizens they serve.”

The public service announcements can be viewed and shared on the APCO International Web site at http://www.apcointl.org/psa.php or on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LVKOM-hUi0 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-0TIG4xQUM. If you are interested in receiving a copy of the public service announcements contact Courtney McCarron Hastings at mccarronc@apco911.org or 571.312.4400 x7002.

Washington, D.C. –Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) have been named as the new bipartisan Senate co-chairs of the Congressional E9-1-1 Caucus. They will join Congressman John Shimkus (R-IL) and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA), who are the House co-chairs. Klobuchar succeeds Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as a Senate co-chair of the caucus, whose mission is to promote enhanced 9-1-1 services and improve the nation’s emergency communications system.

“As a former prosecutor, I’ve always believed that the first responsibility of government is to protect its citizens,” said Klobuchar. “Our first responders serve on the front lines every day to protect our communities and we need to make sure they have the resources they need to carry out this important task. I look forward to working with Senator Burr, Congressman Shimkus, Congresswoman Eshoo and all the members of the Caucus to ensure that our nation’s emergency communications system is equipped for the 21st Century.”

“I am committed to making sure our nation’s emergency responders have the tools they need to protect American citizens,” said Burr. “9-1-1 is a crucial life saving link, and this caucus will prepare us to help make that link as strong as possible.”

“The E9-1-1 Caucus is truly a bipartisan, bicameral group that works together to advance emergency services and the protection of our citizens” Shimkus noted. “We are pleased to welcome Senators Klobuchar and Burr as co-chairs.”

“Senators Klobuchar and Burr have a strong commitment to public safety and I welcome them to the efforts of the E9-1-1 Caucus as we work to improve and expand our country’s life-saving emergency communications systems,” Eshoo said.

The co-chairs of the E9-1-1 Caucus plan to unveil a comprehensive legislative agenda for the 111th Congress soon. Klobuchar, Burr, Eshoo and Shimkus were recognized at the sixth annual “9-1-1 Honors Gala,” sponsored by the E9-1-1 Institute and the National Emergency Number Association yesterday. The Gala honored outstanding members of the 9-1-1 community, first responders, and citizen heroes.

Established in 2003, the Congressional E9-1-1 Caucus seeks to raise public awareness and educate policy makers on the importance of the nation’s 9-1-1 system and to advance the availability of E9-1-1 services throughout the county. The Caucus works closely with the public safety community, industry and citizens to ensure that the best technology is available for emergency communications and that the call centers and emergency networks are adequately funded.

http://klobuchar.senate.gov/newsreleases_detail.cfm?id=310480&

APCO’s Next Generation Project RETAINS Study Identifies

Additional Public Safety Communications Staffing Trends and Issues

February 23, 2009, Alexandria, Va. – The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International today released a follow-up report to its Project RETAINS (Responsive Efforts to Assure Integral Needs in Staffing), which finds the national telecommunicator turn-over rate at 19 percent, an increase of three percent since the initial study conducted in 2005 and higher than the better-known turn-over rates of nurses and teachers. The report also includes highly sought-after guidelines to estimate the appropriate staffing levels for dispatchers.

“Too often it takes catastrophic events to shed light on the urgent contributions public safety communications work makes to our nation’s well being,” APCO International President Chris Fischer said. “During more routine moments, public safety professionals labor well out of the public eye and, often, with limited resources and insufficient support.”

Seeking to assess the conditions under which communications centers are employed, APCO International established Project RETAINS, which resulted in a 2005 report and the Project RETAINS toolkit. This second Project RETAINS study, Staffing and Retention in Public Safety Communications Centers: A Follow-up Study, sought to extend APCO International’s knowledge of communications center staffing issues not addressed in the first study and to gauge the degree to which Project RETAINS has proven useful.

This report examined communications centers’ retention rates, employees’ organizational commitment, and employees’ psychological distress. Despite the broad differences between centers of different size, location and type, a number of patterns emerged in this study that hold relevance for the nation’s communications centers. First, the overwhelming majority (83 percent) of centers have experienced an increase in the number of dispatched calls in the previous three years. In addition, rates of retention are significantly affected by the hourly salary which starting employees receive and the flexibility of work schedules. Further, the findings draw attention to the need that employees express for greater support, recognition, and appreciation, whether from their supervisors and center directors or from the public at large. Finally, communications centers that have used the Project RETAINS toolkit indicated that retention had significantly increased over the past three years.

“Project RETAINS was created to provide our organization with a better understanding of the issues experienced by our members and effective ways to address them and, by those standards, we have succeeded,” Fischer said. “However, we continue to battle with the goal of awareness and truly believe that full success will not be realized until the public has a greater understanding of and appreciation for the work of these talented and dedicated professionals.”

The full report of this study is free for APCO International members and can be downloaded at http://www.apcointl.com/new/commcenter911/retains_at_a_glance.php. Members of the press interested in receiving a copy of the report or talking with someone about the findings should contact Courtney McCarron Hastings at mccarronc@apco911.org. A summary of the report is available to the public at http://www.apcointl.com/new/commcenter911/retains_at_a_glance.php. For more information on Project RETAINS, visit http://www.apcointl.com/new/commcenter911/retains.php.

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About APCO International

The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International is the world’s oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to the enhancement of public safety communications. APCO International serves the professional needs of its 15,000 members worldwide by creating a platform for setting professional standards, addressing professional issues and providing education, products and services for people who manage, operate, maintain and supply the communications systems used by police, fire and emergency medical dispatch agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.apcointl.org.

Source: ARRL (www.arrl.org)

Amateur Radio operators in Colorado won a legislative victory on February 3 before the Transportation and Energy Committee of the Colorado House of Representatives. The committee heard testimony Wednesday on HB 09-1094, A Bill for an Act Concerning Wireless Telephone Prohibitions for Drivers. The bill, sponsored by Rep Claire Levy (D-13) would entirely prohibit the use of wireless telephones by drivers under the age of 18 years; and would require the use of hands-free devices for most other drivers while operating a motor vehicle in motion within the state of Colorado. While the bill provided exemptions for public safety personnel within the scope of their duties, and all users in the event of an emergency to contact public safety authorities, there was concern that enforcement authorities would fail to differentiate between Amateur Radio transceivers and traditional cellular or PCS telephones.

Concerned about the possible ambiguity, ARRL Colorado Section Manager Jeff Ryan, K0RM, and Colorado Section Public Information Coordinator Robert Wareham, N0ESQ, reviewed the proposed bill together and devised a plan to address concerns. “Jeff had already contacted Rep Levy,” Wareham said, “but she expressed hesitance to add any amendments for what she considered ’special interests.’ Upon introduction, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Energy. My local representative, Frank McNulty (R-43), was a member of that committee, so I gave him a call.”

According to Wareham, McNulty was unsupportive of the bill in general, but he agreed to introduce an amendment to clearly exempt Amateur Radio operators. “I reminded Rep McNulty of a similar statute enacted in 2007 in the State of Washington. I thought he could use the Washington wording as a possible example to model his amendment. That statute expressly exempts Amateur Radio operators licensed by the FCC when operating mobile Amateur Radio stations.”

HB 09-1094 came before the Committee on February 3, 2009. “We were a little surprised to see a packed house in the Old Supreme Court Chambers of the State Capitol,” Ryan said. Wareham said that a legislative staffer informed Ryan prior to the hearing that there was substantial interest in the “hands-free cellular” bill, as it was being commonly called. Representatives of the four major television network affiliates were all present. “It was a great opportunity for us to spread the word about Amateur Radio to the reporters prior to the hearing,” Ryan recalled. “One of the videographers even approached us and introduced himself by his call sign.”

Wareham said that testimony in support of the bill was “emotional and compelling. A mother — who had lost her 9 year old daughter to an inattentive driver who was fishing for a ringing cell phone — testified as to her grief. A woman who had lost a leg when a young driver pinned her to her parked automobile while texting on his cell phone also testified to the devastation her family had experienced.

Wareham and Ryan had agreed that the ARRL Colorado Section would remain neutral as to the merit of the bill itself, but seek an amendment to protect Amateur Radio in the event the bill passed. Wareham testified on behalf of the Section and reminded the lawmakers of the important role that Amateur Radio plays in response to disasters and in support of the weather service. He distinguished the use of mobile and portable radios from that of cellular telephones, pointing out that using an Amateur Radio on a routine basis required far less human interaction.

“I held up a dual band portable handheld transceiver and showed the lawmakers how, with a DTMF pad, a portable transceiver might be mistaken for a wireless telephone device by well-meaning but misinformed enforcement officials. I told that Committee, ‘This is not your grandfather’s ham radio, a big box with glowing tubes — yet with a few pushes on a few buttons, I am capable of speaking with someone on the other side of the world.’”

Emphasizing that on a daily basis or even during emergencies ham radio operators generally confine themselves to a limited number of channels preprogrammed into their radios, Wareham assured the committee members that Amateur Radio use posed nowhere near the danger that cellular telephones are believed to pose. “When I want to answer or place a call to another ham, it is generally no more than picking up the microphone or portable radio and pushing a single button. It does not pose a visual distraction,” Wareham testified before the Committee.

After almost two hours of testimony, it was time for the Committee to vote on the proposed amendments. “Rep McNulty introduced his amendment, the one exempting Amateur Radio from the bill, and that was seconded by the Committee Chair,” Wareham said. ‘The amendment added the following subsection to the proposed statute: “This section does not restrict operation of an Amateur Radio station by a person who holds a valid Amateur Radio operator license issued by the Federal Communications Commission.”

After the Chair asked if there were any objections to the proposed amendment, we sat in stunned silence as not a single member of the committee, nor the bill’s author, offered any objection,” Wareham said. “The Committee Chair then announced that the amendment was adopted unanimously.” After the introduction and modification of two additional amendments, Wareham said a vote was taken on the amended bill. By a vote of 9-2, the bill was approved and forwarded to the House Committee on Appropriations, prior to being sent to the full House for a vote.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Ryan said, “but it certainly feels good to have the exemption in print in the amended bill. After sitting through this afternoon’s hearing, it is good to know that we can have an impact on laws that affect us, but we also have to be responsible in the way we exercise the special privileges accorded to us. We must all do our best to assure that when we operate from our vehicles we do so with utmost consideration for safety.”

Wareham echoed Ryan’s remarks: “It was difficult to hear the story of a mother who lost her 9 year old daughter to a moment’s distraction. Whether responding during a disaster or spotting hazardous weather, safe operation of our vehicles while completing our missions must be paramount. Hams in Colorado owe a debt of gratitude to Rep McNulty for his willingness to champion their cause.”

Wareham said that assuming the bill passes through the House Committee on Appropriations, it will be brought before the entire Colorado House of Representatives and then approved in the State Senate before being sent to the Governor for his signature. The bill has a proposed effective date of December 1, 2009.

January 26, 2009, Alexandria, Va. – The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International announced today the approval of an American National Standard (ANS) to provide a standard data exchange for electronically transmitting information between an alarm monitoring company and a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

The intent of this ANS is to standardize an automated computer-to-computer exchange of data between alarm monitoring companies and PSAPs. This standard is highly recommended for all entities and agencies interested in implementing an automated exchange of alarm-related data in order to promote more efficient and effective public safety and data interoperability nationwide. It provides detailed technical data to software providers who support computer aided dispatch (CAD) systems or alarm monitoring applications concerning the common data elements and structure that shall be utilized when electronically transmitting a new alarm event from an alarm monitoring company to a PSAP. The document includes process flow examples that are necessary during the handoff of a new event, new event responses, and updates to working events between the alarm monitoring company and the PSAP.

There are three primary uses for this standard: initial notification of an alarm event, bi-directional updates of the status between an alarm monitoring company and the PSAP, and bi-directional updates of other events between an alarm monitoring company and a PSAP. The proposed standard is an Information Exchange Package Document (IEPD) that has been recently converted to be National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) 2.0 conformant.

“This standard is an ideal example of consensus development by all parties affected by an issue, collectively bettering the services we provide the public and increasing our public’s safety,” APCO International President Chris Fischer said. “The focus is, as always, on the end-users and the effect will be improved dispatch and response times while increasing interoperability and cost effectiveness.”

This candidate ANS is a result of dedicated work and partnerships between APCO International, the IJIS Institute, York County (Va.) Emergency Communications Division, City of Richmond (Va.) Department of Information Technology, Richmond Police Department’s Division of Emergency Communications, the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA), and Vector Security. This project is supported by APCO International’s Data Transfer Committee and The Public Safety Data Interoperability (PSDI) Program. The PSDI program and the IEPD conversion project were funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The PSDI program is co-managed by APCO International and the IJIS Institute.

The ANS was approved by ANSI on January 15 and can be downloaded at http://www.apcointl.org/new/commcenter911/APCOstandards.php.

Reston, Va., November 10, 2008 – In response to the Federal Communications Commission’s plans to conduct a re-auction of the 700 MHz D block spectrum, Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV) filed comments recommending the expansion of satellite requirements to ensure reliable and interoperable communications to the public safety community.

MSV’s filing recommends that the Commission modify its “one satellite handset” rule to require that at least one model of each major device type (e.g., one laptop card, one PDA, and one phone), and half of all models made available to public safety officials, incorporate satellite communications capability.

“The Commission and the public safety and emergency response communities recognize that satellite services can improve the public safety network by extending coverage and increasing reliability and survivability,” said Jennifer A. Manner, vice president of regulatory affairs for MSV. “However, for these benefits to be realized satellite capability must be built into public safety officials’ primary devices — the devices they keep charged and at hand and already know how to use.”

“MSV’s comments explain that broadening the satellite requirement to include multiple types of devices (i.e. laptop card, PDA and phone) will go a long way to ensuring that public safety officials have reliable satellite communications at their fingertips when an emergency strikes,” said Jim Corry, vice president of government solution for MSV. “This type of requirement also will enable expanded area coverage and improved connectivity for public safety organizations operating in rural areas, especially when the terrestrial network is damaged or congested.”

A copy of MSV’s complete filing is available on the FCC Web site.

MSV is developing a hybrid satellite-terrestrial communications network, based on MSV’s patented ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) technology. The company expects its next-generation network will provide seamless, transparent and ubiquitous wireless coverage of the United States and Canada to conventional handsets. MSV plans to launch two of the most powerful commercial satellites ever built that will enable this network to support communications in a variety of areas including public safety, homeland security, aviation, transportation and entertainment, by providing a platform for interoperable, user-friendly and feature-rich voice and high-speed data services.

MSV is owned and controlled by SkyTerra Communications, Inc. (OTCBB: SKYT). http://www.msvlp.com.

Ocean County, NJ  – V-COMM, a leading New Jersey based telecommunications engineering firm, has been hired by Ocean County to provide Radio Frequency engineering and consulting services.  There are many facets to this contract including; representing the County with respect to Digital Television (DTV) transitions, advising the County in regards to the 2013 mandate on narrow band transition for Public Safety communications, and renewals, and reviewing the Countywide Interoperability Plan to maintain communications with municipal and other local and state agencies.

“In 2004, V-COMM was hired by Ocean County to evaluate the government’s communications system and to develop a long-range plan for more effective and efficient growth for the future,” says Robert Bruno, Division Director of Wireless Technology for the County. “We are happy to have them back for this new contract, so we can take the County’s communications to the next level.”

“Communications technology is constantly evolving,” says Dominic Villecco, V-COMM President and Founder. “It’s important for County governments to stay up-to-date as communications are a key factor in keeping the public safe.  I am proud of the work V-COMM performs, helping governments help their residents.”

V-COMM is a leading provider of integrated network engineering, radio frequency engineering, and business services. V-COMM delivers the needed expertise and cost-effective solutions to governmental agencies and wired and wireless operators.  Company executives are much sought-after expert witnesses providing testimony on telecommunications issues in local, regional, national, and international venues.  V‑COMM has a growing staff of nearly 50 engineers and professionals with offices in Cranbury, NJ and Blue Bell, PA.  For more information, visit us on the World Wide Web at www.vcomm-eng.com.

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