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) Best Practices for the Use of Social Media in Public Safety Communications. Emergency communications centers (ECCs) continue to face evolving challenges in managing social media usage by employees and departments, requiring updated guidance to address emerging best practices and technological advances since the current standard was established. The revised standard will provide comprehensive coverage of social media applications across critical operational areas: crime and emergency reporting, non-emergency requests, public education, emergency alerting, on-duty employee usage and off-duty employee conduct. The revised standard will also, deliver enhanced standardized guidelines and methodologies that enable ECCs to effectively navigate the complex landscape of social media integration with consistent, professional protocols that protect confidentiality and maximize public safety benefits. The working group will meet virtually twice a month—on the second and fourth Tuesdays at 3 p.m. ET—for 50 minutes each.
APCO American National Standard (ANS) Public Safety Communications Common Status Codes for Data Exchange. The revision of this standard addresses the ongoing need for enhanced interoperability among emergency response agencies by providing an updated comprehensive list of descriptive terms for tracking emergency responder activities across police, fire, emergency medical services and multi-disciplinary resource deployments. This revised standard will expand and refine the standardized status codes that enable disparate agencies to seamlessly share critical incident data through common terminology mapping. It will ensure each agency’s existing internal code structures are maintained while providing an enhanced framework of universal codes to which agencies can align their proprietary data systems for improved coordination during emergency operations. This working group will meet virtually twice a month—on the first and third Thursdays at 3 p.m. ET—for 50 minutes each.
“These standard revisions represent critical advancements in emergency communications. The updated social media standard addresses the rapidly evolving digital landscape that our ECCs navigate daily, providing essential guidance to harness social media’s power for public safety while protecting sensitive information,” said Jack Varnado, president of APCO International. “Meanwhile, the revised common status codes standard strengthens the foundation of interagency coordination by enhancing our ability to share vital incident data seamlessly across jurisdictions and disciplines.”
Participants in an APCO standards working group 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 October 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.
