and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO)
International recently signed a joint Statement of Cooperation
regarding NG9-1-1 migration and transition planning. The agreement
outlines current activities of both organizations related to NG 9-1-1
geared toward modernizing Americaâ??s 9-1-1 systems. â??This agreement is a
major step forward in furthering the relationship of the nationâ??s two
leading 9-1-1 and public safety communications organizations on the
critical issue of NG9-1-1,â?? said NENA President Jason Barbour, ENP. â??It
is essential that NENA and APCO share the same vision of Next
together in the spirit of collaboration and cooperation. Recognizing
the unique value that each of our organizations brings to the table,
and the power of collaboration among the leaders of NENA and APCO, this
agreement is a significant step towards achieving our shared vision and
goals.â?? â??The future of 9-1-1 is one of the most significant issues
facing public safety in the U.S.,â?? APCO International President Wanda
McCarley said. â??APCO and NENA have come together as a team in this very
significant effort and we feel the results will be a firm foundation
for the advancement of 9-1-1 and public safety. We are pleased as well
to be able to work with NENA on this and other initiatives.â?? Within the
agreement, the two associations have outlined a framework for
information sharing, acknowledged areas of overlap and organizational
expertise, and identified the scope of each groupâ??s NG9-1-1 transition
initiatives â?? NENAâ??s Next Generation Transition Planning Committee
(NGTPC) and APCOâ??s Project 41. An element of NENAâ??s overall NG9-1-1
Project, the NGPTC exists to â??identify and describe the NG9-1-1
transition steps useful to Public Safety Authorities and other
stakeholders in moving from each 9-1-1 system and service environment
starting point, to NG9-1-1, and the related development actions needed
to enable that transition to a fully capable NG9-1-1 service.â?? Project
41â??s charge is to â??address the impact upon operational practices facing
the public safety communications industry specific to voice over
internet protocol and other related emerging technologies.â?? APCO is
also an active member of the NENA Next Generation Partner Program.
Under the Statement of Cooperationâ??s terms, the Chair of APCOâ??s Project
41 will be a member of NENAâ??s NGTPC and will serve on its leadership
group and the appropriate leaders of NENAâ??s NGTPC will serve on APCOâ??s
Project 41 Committee. It was further decided that both work
groups/committees will develop project plans that maximize the
opportunity for input from both organizations, recognizing their
special interest, focus and capabilities. Finally, the two
organizations agreed that they will share the output from the
respective committees and actively solicit input from the other
organizations to refine and evolve the effort, but both recognize there
may arise occasions where opinions and positions may differ. Both
associations are engaging in activities relating to the development of
NG9-1-1 systems, which will ultimately occur within a broader array of
interconnected networks and systems comprehensively supporting
emergency services; from public access to those services to the
delivery of emergency information to call-takers, dispatchers and first
responders. NENA and APCO view this development as an evolutionary
process to enable the general public to make a 9-1-1 communication from
any wired, wireless, or Internet Protocol (IP) based device.
