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ANSI APPROVES MISSING CHILD EMERGENCY RESPONSE STANDARD
August 1, 2010, Houston, Texas – The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International announced the approval of the second version of an American National Standard (ANS) to guide public safety telecommunicators in the processing of calls reporting missing, abducted, and/or sexually exploited children. APCO ANS 1.101.2-2010: Standard for Public Safety Telecommunicators when Responding to Calls of Missing, Abducted, and Sexually Exploited Children was approved by The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) on July 28.
This ANS is designed specifically for public safety communications professionals as a reference for handling the missing, abducted and/or sexually exploited child response process in a logical progression from initial 9-1-1 call through ongoing incident and case support. It provides guidance to create the tools and training needed to enable public safety telecommunicators to act quickly and decisively when responding to these incidents.
"Public safety telecommunicators play a critical role in this important area of child protection," APCO International President Richard Mirgon said. "This standard is designed to enhance and support such training efforts undertaken by state, regional and local law enforcement and public safety communications agencies."
This ANS was developed by a joint steering committee of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) with members from APCO International, the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED), the National AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance program (U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). The ANS can be downloaded at http://apcointl.org/new/commcenter911/APCOstandards.php.
This important topic is highlighted in various activities this week during the APCO International 76th Annual Conference and Exposition in Houston, Texas. Professional Development Sessions include National Standards in Public Safety Communications by APCO’s Standards Development Committee (August 1), Operating in a Child Centered PSAP by NCMEC (August 1), Effective use of NCIC in Missing, Abducted, and Sexually Exploited Child Incidents by the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (August 4), Missing and Exploited Children 9-1-1 Center Manager Seminar (August 5) and the Call Center Best Practices in Handling Calls of Missing and Exploited Children Train-the-Trainer Seminar (August 5). 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.
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