Alexandria, VA – The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International has filed a Project Initiation with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to revise two critical industry standards:
APCO American National Standard (ANS) Public Safety Grade Site Hardening Requirements. This technical standard will define public safety communications resilience by creating comprehensive site hardening requirements to ensure first responder networks remain operational during hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters. The working group will meet on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 3:00 p.m. ET for 50-minute sessions.
APCO American National Standard (ANS) Cybersecurity Training for Public Safety Communications Personnel. This working group will revise the comprehensive training standard designed to defend emergency response systems against digital threats. This initiative focuses on updating training requirements that prepare telecommunicators, supervisors and network administrators to recognize and respond to cybersecurity threats ranging from sophisticated malware to coordinated denial-of-service attacks targeting critical emergency communications infrastructure. The working group will meet on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 11:00 a.m. ET for 50-minute sessions.
APCO seeks ECC users, product producers and those with a general interest in ECC operations and equipment to participate in working groups for these standards.
“From engineering unbreakable wireless networks to building cutting-edge cybersecurity training programs, these working groups offer the ECC stakeholder community the chance to make a lasting impact on public safety nationwide,” said Stephen Martini, president of APCO International. “I encourage all qualified volunteers to step forward and contribute their expertise to these critical initiatives.”
The working groups will meet virtually twice a month for less than one hour, and participants will earn points toward their Registered Public-Safety Leader (RPL) recertification and receive recognition for their contributions to the final published standard. To apply, complete the online application at Join a Working Group. The deadline to sign up is July 31. Selections will be made within two weeks of the closing date, and all will be notified of their status via email.
For more information, contact APCO Standards at [email protected], or visit our website.
APCO International® (www.apcointl.org)
APCO International is the world’s oldest and largest organization of public safety communications professionals and supports the largest U.S. membership base of any public safety association. It serves the needs of public safety communications practitioners worldwide – and the welfare of the general public as a whole – by providing complete expertise, professional development, technical assistance, advocacy and outreach.
