 | Issue: | Latin America II 1998 |
| Article no.: | 3 | |
| Topic: | An Overview of APCO International | |
| Author: | Christopher R. Bevevino | |
| Title: | Executive Director | |
| Organisation: | APCO | |
| PDF size: | 24KB |
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Article abstract
Connect-World is delighted to introduce the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO). APCO’s members come from every type of public safety organisation: 911 centres, law enforcement agencies, emergency medical services, fire departments etc. It has a reputation in the communications community as the leader in establishing protocols and standards for public safety communications. Here Mr. Bevevino introduces some of APCO’s projects.
Full Article
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International, Inc. is the world’s oldest and largest non-profit professional organisation dedicated to the enhancement of public safety communications. It has a well-deserved reputation in the communications community as the leader in establishing protocols and standards for public safety communications. Background The Association was formed in 1935 by a small group of men in police communications and duly named Associated Police Communications Officers. The organisation steadily grew through the years to include the entire scope of public safety communications. By 1948 APCO had grown to such proportions that its name was changed to Associated Public-Safety Communications Officers, which later changed to its present name. The change in name reflected the fact that APCO represented all public safety communications – from supervisors and administrators to engineers and telecommunicators – in police, fire and emergency services. Today, it has more than 13,000 members around the world. It exists to serve the people who manage, operate, maintain and supply the communications systems used to safeguard the lives and. property of citizens everywhere. APCO’s members come from every type of public safety organisation imaginable: 911 centres, law enforcement agencies, emergency medical services, fire departments, public safety departments, emergency management centres, transportation agencies and facilities, forestry services, colleges and universities, military units, manufacturers, technical and repair services, engineers, consultants and dozens of similar organisations. APCO’s Mission APCO has a clear mission with a vision for the future, which positions it as the strongest network of public safety communications professionals in the world. It uses the experience, knowledge and expertise of its members to help achieve its goal of excellence in public safety communications. APCO’s mission statement includes the following: · Foster the development and progress of the art of public safety communications by means of research, planning, training and education. · Promote co-operation between towns, cities, counties, states and federal public safety agencies in the area of communications. · Represent its members before communications regulatory agencies and policy-making bodies as may be appropriate. · Through its efforts, strive toward the end that the safety of human life, the protection of property and the civic welfare are benefited to the utmost degree. · Aid and assist in the rapid and accurate collection, exchange and dissemination of information relating to emergencies and other vital public safety functions. Establishing Projects As needs to address technological advances and procedural changes are identified, APCO establishes ‘projects’ to investigate the wants and needs of its members. Projects are assigned a number and, working with other entities in the field as appropriate, protocols or standards are developed. For example, one of the earliest projects was the establishment, in 1973, of the familiar ’10-Codes’. Other significant projects affecting communications today include: · Project 16 established the opera tional and technical criteria for trunked radio systems. · Project 25 established the technical standards for digital communication systems for public safety applications. · Project 31, which is in progress, is addressing the problems associated with the emergence of wireless communications systems and the impact on the abilities of enhanced 911 services. · Project 33 established the standards for telecommunicator training. · Project 35, also in progress, reviews the creation of a nationwide public safety non-emergency alternative to 911. Project 25 Project 25 is one of APCO’s most complicated and time-consuming endeavours. As public safety agencies evaluate their two-way radio needs for the future, many are reaching some similar conclusions: · Radio spectrum is becoming more congested; · Demand for data transmission is more pronounced; · Systems need increased functionality; · Secure communication is a growing necessity; and, · Improved voice quality is essential over more of the coverage area. Upgrading a communications network is a major undertaking in terms of time, energy and expense. A number of possible solutions are available, including digital technologies. They offer the potential to address many or all major concerns and they can provide a true platform for the future. The decision to go digital, however, is only the first step. There are several different digital technologies on the market, making the selection difficult. Each one has its own set of features that may or may not suit public safety organisations. Approved in August 1995, Phase I of the project established the suite of standards for implementing digital public safety communication systems, using 12.5 kHz channels. The project brings together representatives from many local, state and federal government agencies who evaluate basic technologies in advanced land mobile radio. The objective is to find solutions that best serve the needs of the public safety marketplace. In addition, the committee has encouraged the participation of numerous international public safety organisations, making this a truly worldwide recommended, standard-setting initiative. The project is co-chaired with the National Association of State Telecommunications Directors (NASTD). The steering committee, which makes decisions, also consists of federal representatives from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), National Communications System (NCS) and the Department of Defence (DoD). Four key objectives guided the steering committee through this open process: · Provide enhanced functionality with equipment and capabilities focused on public safety needs; · Improve spectrum efficiency; · Ensure competition among multiple vendors through open systems architecture; and, · Allow effective, efficient and reliable intra-agency and inter-agency communications. Each vendor’s system will begin on a level playing field, determined by an agreed base line set of specifications. Phase II of the project began in August 1997 with the announcement for migration to 6.25 kHz channelised land mobile radio systems. This phase is to develop a standard for increasing spectrum efficiency twofold, which means moving to 6.25 kHz channels or equivalent spectrum efficiency. At that time the steering committee decided on a dual track approach, using frequency division multiple access, as the primary suite of technologies and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) that would provide equivalent 6.25 kHz channel efficiency and backward interoperability to Phase I standards. This project was the topic of discussion at APCO’s first symposium which took place on June 4-5, 1998 in Washington, DC, dealing with technical and complex industry issues. Project 31 Wireless techcnology has opened a Pandora’s Box for the public safety community, impacting the abilities of enhanced 911 services. With the formation of Project 31, APCO has been at the forefront in instructing its members how to comply with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandates of Docket 94-102. Early on, APCO members were informed that the key issues of the FCC order are that Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) must ask for the service, they must be capable of receiving the information and there must be a cost-recovery mechanism in place to defer the cost of implemenation. APCO developed a survey to ascertain the PSAP managers understood their role in complying with the FCC order, as well as what actions each state might have taken. The first deadline in the FCC order has passed. Since October 1st, 1997 every wireless 911 call, whether or not it had code identification capabilities, had to be forwarded without interruption to a PSAP. Phase I of the order was to be completed by April 1st and it required wireless carriers to deliver a wireless caller’s 10-digit phone number and cell site location, giving the general vicinity of the caller. Phase II must be completed by October 1st, 2001, and requires wireless carriers to adopt technology within five years to enable PSAPs to determine a wireless caller’s location more precisely, within 410 feet or 125 meters, around the caller. Project 35 APCO established the Project 35 Committee in August 1996, after a presidential campaign speech in which President Clinton proposed the creation of a nationwide public safety non-emergency alternative to 911. Following the president’s lead, the US Department of Justice petitioned the FCC to reserve the telephone dialling digits 311 for use in public safety operations. While the idea generated both positive and negative reactions from the public safety community, APCO realised the issue needed a comprehensive review. Hence the formation of the Project 35 team. The team immediately engaged in extensive research into similar projects in major metropolitan areas including Baltimore, MD, Washington, DC and Dallas, Texas. APCO sponsored a meeting on January 17th, 1997 in Washington, DC to examine a number of topics and issues impacting the implementation of an N-l-l number nationwide. After the meeting, the committee presented its views and received feedback from various associations with public safety interests, as well as government agencies including representatives from the FCC Common Carrier Bureau and the Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services programme. After researching, debating and considering every facet of an N -1-1 system, the project concluded that non-emergency access is essential to public safety, but acknowledged that N-l-1 is only one of several options. Further, it was agreed that N-l-l could have various uses that are best determined by individual local or state governments. The use of 311 as a non-emergency number is still in its developmental stages, prompting the committee to continue to gather additional information. Baltimore is currently in the second year of its two-year pilot programme while California’s pilot in San Jose went online in November 1997. APCO’s position statement on non-emergency access to public safety services made a number of recommendations to raise the awareness level to all aspects of the issue. APCO’s recommendations included: · All public safety agencies should have a functional non-emergency access number; · Public education on proper emer gency and non-emergency access is of paramount importance; · There are many ways a community might logically implement an N-1-1 system to meet its own needs; · At the federal level, 311 should not be designated for a singular use, which would limit the flexibility needed by local communities; · Implementation of an N-1-1 system should be allowable under FCC rule and should be authorised by each state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) or Public Utilities Commission (PUC); · Certain standards should accompany N-1-1 use; and, · A functional 911 system must be in place before a community adds an N-1-1 system. The committee also developed the Non-Emergency Access Assessment Sheet as a tool to assist public safety communications centre managers as they evaluate the status of the agency’s non-emergency call reporting system. The assessment sheet lists nine areas of consideration for the communication centre manager to evaluate, including goals. Each consideration has three follow-up questions to be considered. The committee also developed the 311 Implementation Issues Checklist, which prompts managers to take a second look at policies, from how emergency calls on 311 will be handled to the possibility of establishing performance standards. It addresses training, staffing and the need for the 311 system to comply with the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act. The committee continues to study cost issues, including the question of whether 911 costs are too high. Conclusion The backbone of the Association is its committees, task forces and project series. Each one is an important and integral part of the association and its work. This backbone reflects the ‘volunteer’ tradition of the Association and plays significant roles in the enhancement of public safety communications.
