Three first-time APCO conference attendees from O’Fallon Police Department, Missouri, wrote up their experience about what the conference meant to them. APCO Conference & ExpoBy Mike Conte The 2025 APCO Conference and Expo, what an experience it was. With our division recently becoming members of this organization, I went into this conference not knowing what […]
P25 Compliance Assessment Program Meeting
Several public safety agencies overseeing P25 radio systems, their equipment manufacturers and FirstNet representatives met at APCO 2025 to review and discuss the progress of the Project 25 Compliance Assessment Program (P25 CAP). This quarterly meeting was hosted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) and moderated by APCO’s contract […]
APCO 2025: Connect & Celebrate Dinner
The last act of APCO 2025 came with the Connect and Celebrate Dinner in the Baltimore Convention Center on Wednesday, July 30. It featured the swearing in of the 2025-2026 Executive Committee, a summing up by the outgoing president and the vision of the incoming one.
Psychology 101: How Crisis Communication Becomes Life-Saving Art
This session wasn’t just another training module — it was a master class in the delicate art of verbal judo and the psychology behind saving lives through words alone.
APCO 2025: Food for Thought Luncheon
On the final day of APCO 2025, the Food for Thought Luncheon in the Baltimore Convention Center hosted more than 1,000 public safety communications professionals. Attendees on Wednesday, July 30, recognized agencies that earned APCO accreditation; heard about Baltimore’s advances in public safety communications and about APCO 2026’s San Antonio destination; and were inspired by the founder of Because I Said I would, a mental health resiliency charity based on keeping promises.
Hurricane Helene – NJTI / Lessons Learned / Incident Review
When Ohio Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce (TERT) arrived at the Bumcombe County, North Carolina, emergency communications center they found public safety telecommunicators sleeping under their desks.
2024 Hurricane Helene: Validating North Carolina NG9-1-1
In September 2024, the system was put to the test when Hurricane Helene inflicted hundreds of billions of dollars worth of damage to the southeast, including the 9-1-1 infrastructure.
When Disaster Strikes: How the FCC and TERT Step In
This session explored how both federal agencies and public safety telecommunicator teams respond when disasters strike, offering practical insights and real-world experiences.
Beyond the Call: Recognizing Human Trafficking
This session focused on the prevalence of human trafficking in the United States, highlighting that it is the second-largest criminal enterprise in the country, generating over $52 billion annually.
Managing a Multigenerational Workforce
She began with a key reminder: no generation fits neatly into a “box.” Understanding generational traits is helpful, but individuals often carry traits from multiple generations — especially “cuspers,” who she defined as those born at the edge of generational lines.
