APCO News

No eBulletin Next Week - Check Back August 15

APCO eBulletin will be taking a break next week, but will be back with APCO news, updates from Washington, conference and meeting reports, and training and certification information.

AMBER Alert Programs in the United States

Visit http://www.apcointl.com/services/publications/AMBERAlertPrograms.html to view the companion to "Gone Missing: The Telecommunicator's Role in Activating an AMBER Alert," by Sheila Hanna-Wiles in the August issue of Public Safety Communications.  And visit http://www.apcointl.com/services/bulletin/index.html to preview the August issue.

ANSI Standards Panel Announces Open Comment Period on Health IT Documents

The Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP) is seeking public comment on documents that will form the basis of the panel's next set of recommendations to the American Health Information Community (AHIC), which includes Emergency Responder Electronic Health Record (ER-EHR) Interoperability Specification (IS04).  The ER-EHR case focuses on the deployment of standardized, widely available, and secure solutions for accessing current and historical health data by those involved in the response to an emergency situation.  Stakeholders include 9-1-1 Call Centers and Emergency Dispatch and Operations Centers.  To review the documents and submit comments through August 17 go to www.hitsp.org.

French International Police Association Member Collecting Emergency Services Badges

A member of the French International Police Association would like your help in collecting police, fire and emergency medical services uniform patches.  For more information email kil.gwen@wanadoo.fr.

Honor Your Retirees

Does your communications center have an employee with 20+ years of service who is retiring soon?  Let us know and we will send a letter of congratulations from APCO President Wanda McCarley. E-mail membership@apcointl.org with the employee's name, mailing address and years of dedicated service.

APCO International Job Services

Looking to make your next great hire? Let APCO International help you with your candidate  search by advertising your vacancy on the APCO Job Services board or in the APCO magazine -- or both!  Take advantage of the power of tapping the resources of the largest network of public safety communications professionals in the world.  Join the hundreds who advertise where public safety communications professionals look first.  Visit http://www.apcointl.com/services/jobs/ for more information.

Conferences and Meetings

APCO International Accepting Session Proposals for 2008 Annual Conference

The Call for Papers is now open for the 74th Annual Conference & Exposition, to be held August 3-7, 2008 in Kansas City, Missouri. Submissions will only be accepted online at http://www.apco2008.org/abstract_submission.cfm.  For a complete list of submission requirements and evaluation criteria, please refer to http://www.apco2008.org/abstract_submission.cfm .  The submission deadline is October 1.  If you have further questions, please call APCO International, 386.322.2500 or 888.APCO.9-1-1.

Baltimore Pavilion Schedule Reminder

We've created an environment with social networking in mind. Meet and Greet sessions are intended to get like minded individuals together based on their chapter locale and interests for the purpose of networking and sharing of information, ideas and a little fun!  Check your program guide for all of the peer networking opportunities.

Watch APCO TV at the Annual Conference

APCO-TV is the official television news broadcast to be shown throughout the duration of the APCO International 73rd Annual Conference and Exposition, August 5-9 in Baltimore, MD. APCO-TV is an initiative providing up-to-the-minute news for the Conference, and will include delegate reactions to key issues, interviews with key personalities at the event, as well as pre-recorded documentaries and profiles on key issues and projects for the public safety communications industry.  APCO-TV's daily news broadcasts will be viewed in the exhibition halls and on a dedicated TV channel in APCO partner hotels in Baltimore.  To broaden the reach of APCO-TV, it is supported by the APCO-TV official newsletter and program guide, and a dynamic online presence at www.apcotv.com.

Chapter Officer Reminder

Thursday is the day for Chapter Officers in Baltimore! If you are a chapter officer and you haven't pre-registered for the CAC and Chapter Officers meeting at 8:00am or for the workshop immediately following please do so after you login at www.apconetforum.org/eweb and click "upcoming events."

Training and Certification

Meet the Institute Staff and Online Alumni

The Institute staff and online alumni will be in the APCO Pavilion in the exhibition hall in Baltimore on Monday, August 6 from 11:00 - 11:30a.m. Stop by to say hello, introduce yourself and add a face to those folks you speak to throughout the year.

Join the APCO Institute in the APCO Institute Resource Room

The APCO Institute Resource Room will be located in the Conference Center in Baltimore in room 339. There you will be able to meet the APCO Institute staff and learn about the training, products and services we have to offer. You will also have the opportunity to preview our current course materials and view live demonstrations of the APCO Multi-Purpose Dispatch Software (MEDS) and the Expectations: Evaluations Software. Learn how you can earn your professional designation as a Registered Public Safety Leader (RPL). Stop by and meet some of the graduating students and gather information on this exciting program.

Special Interest Web Seminar - Suicide Bombers - The Future of Domestic Terrorism

APCO will conduct a web seminar titled "Suicide Bombers - The Future of Domestic Terrorism"  on August 22 at 2:00p.m. EST. This session will discuss the issues associated with one of  the biggest threats looming on the horizon for public safety - domestic suicide bombings.  Topics will include the telecommunicator's role in responder safety, explosive event  information gathering and resource allocation after detonation. We will also discuss  secondary explosions and when first responders become the target.  Visit  http://www.apcointl.com/institute/webinars.htm.

Law Enforcement Guide Cards are Now Available

The APCO Institute is now offering Law Enforcement Dispatch Guidecards. The Law Enforcement Dispatch Guidecards use law enforcement specific information and call handling techniques taught in the APCO Institute's Public Safety Telecommunicator 6th Edition training course and incorporate information provided by subject matter experts in the public safety communications industry. These new guidecards are available in paper and electronic format  and can be customized to meet the needs of individual agencies.  Visit  http://www.apcointl.com/institute for more information.

Web Seminars

Join the APCO Institute each Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. EST for quality training and fun  interaction with your peers. Each web seminar is one hour long and qualifies for one continuing dispatch education (CDE) credit. For more information or to register, log onto the APCO Institute website at http://www.apcointl.com/institute/webinars.htm . The upcoming web seminar is Developing a "True" QA/QI Program on August 15.

New Institute Training Schedule

APCO Institute will be introducing a regional training program in the fall of 2007. All of  the Institute's certification courses will be offered in select locations throughout the country, thus allowing agencies to plan in advance for their training needs. If your agency would like to participate and has a facility that will accommodate large groups and will be available for a minimum of three weeks, please email schatelk@apco911.org.

Receive High Quality Grant Writing Training at a Discount

Grant Writing USA provides the most highly sought after grants training in America and now, through a partnership with APCO Institute, APCO members can receive a $25 discount upon entering "APCO" when registering for any Grant Writing USA course!  Visit www.grantwritingusa.com to register.

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Have a position opening?

Why not advertise where
public safety communications
professionals look first?

Click here for more information.  

Click here for the Calendar of Events.

Click here for Annual Conference info.

Attend one of our co-hosted classes!

Public Safety Telecommunicator 1, 6th Edition
Toledo, OH  August 13-17

Communications Training Officer
Baltimore, MD (pre-conference)  August 3-5
  
Communications Center Supervisor 
Baltimore. MD (pre-conference) August 3-5

Fire Service Communications 1st Edition
Albuquerque, NM August 14-17 

Telecommuicator's Role In Homeland Security    
Baltimore, MD (pre-conference) August  5