Every year, APCO’s Annual Conference and Expo provides an opportunity for the association’s Government Relations Office (GRO) to engage with members, learn from their experiences and continue shaping and strengthening its policy priorities.
Court Decision Clears Path for Next Steps in 4.9 GHz Band
The 4.9 GHz band is an important public safety spectrum resource, and a recent court decision has cleared the way for the FCC to continue implementing its plans for the band.
Senators Introduce Bill to Support Wireless Emergency Alerts From Satellites
U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) have introduced the Mystic Alerts Act (S. 4968), which would encourage satellite-based service providers to transmit wireless emergency alerts (WEAs).
NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus Co-Chairs Urge House Passage of Enhancing First Response Act
Representatives Kat Cammack (R-FL) and Norma Torres (D-CA), co-chairs of the Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus, sent a letter on July 2 urging House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring S.725, the Enhancing First Response Act, to the House floor for consideration under suspension of the rules.
“Lifeline for First Responders Act” Introduced in the Senate
U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) have introduced the Lifeline for First Responders Act (S.4819), bipartisan legislation to better support the mental health needs of firefighters, EMS personnel, and emergency dispatchers.
Federal Agencies Take Steps to Promote State and Local Drone Defense
On July 1-2, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and Federal Communications Commission took steps to establish a framework for state, local, Tribal, and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement and correctional agencies to obtain and use capabilities to defend against hostile drones.
APCO Applauds FCC Actions to Modernize 9-1-1 Reliability Requirements and Improve Emergency Alerts
Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted two orders that advance the interests of public safety by modernizing 9-1-1 reliability requirements and strengthening the security of emergency alerting systems.
APCO International and GovWorx Partner to Bring APCO’s Protocols to CommsCoach ASSIST
APCO International has partnered with GovWorx to bring APCO’s recognized communications protocols into GovWorx’s CommsCoach ASSIST. This collaboration will further APCO’s mission to equip emergency communications centers (ECC) with modern, intelligent workflow tools. Together, APCO and GovWorx will streamline ECC operations, improve protocol adherence and expand APCO’s digital influence across the public safety technology landscape.
APCO Files Response to BART 4.9 GHz Waiver Request
On March 31, APCO submitted a filing with the Federal Communications Commission in response to a request from the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) to waive certain rules governing the 4.9 GHz band.
APCO Hosts First AI Summit
More than 250 attendees gathered in Orlando, Florida, this week at the APCO AI Summit to examine how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming emergency communications.
APCO Seeks Working Group Members to Assist With the Development of New AI Standard
Today at the APCO AI Summit, APCO International announced the creation of a new operational standard titled Best Practices for Artificial Intelligence Integration into the Emergency Communications Center (ECC).
APCO and iCERT Come Together to Promote AI in Emergency Response
On October 7, 2025, at the APCO AI Summit, APCO International announced a new partnership with the Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies (iCERT) to launch a new program to promote the responsible implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in emergency response and public safety communications systems.
APCO Expands on Recommendations for FCC Action to Improve Interoperability and Reliability for NG9-1-1 Systems
On September 17, 2025, APCO filed reply comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on improving interoperability and reliability for NG9-1-1.
