Subject: [NEXTEL-1] apco July Newsletter

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 17:03:01 -0400

Volume I, Issue IV - Friday, July 11, 2003
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                       In this Issue

                                                               Calendar of
                                                                    Events

     GWU Launches First Responder Training Institute           Membership

     Chairman Powell Visits Alexandria, Virginia 911 Call
     Center to View Demonstration of Wireless Enhanced
     911 Location Technology                                          APCO
                                                                 Frequency
     Secretary Tom Ridge Announces Members and First         Coordination
     Meeting of the Homeland Security Advisory Council

     CFR Task Force Identifies Critical Funding Needs for
     First Responders                                          Conference

     House Bill to Include Firefighter Assistance Grants

     Under Homeland Security Appropriations Act                 Institute

     APCO News

                                                               Contact Us

      GWU Launched First Responder Training Institute

The George Washington University launched its Response to
Emergencies and Disasters Institute (READI) last week
with a ceremony at GW's Virginia Campus in Loudoun
County, where READI will be based.  Established with the
help of a $5 million federal appropriation, READI is a
comprehensive center designed to train firefighters, EMS
and law enforcement personnel - as well as public health
officials and other non-traditional first responders - in
an integrated approach to major emergencies, with a
special emphasis on terrorism preparedness and response.

GWU is the lead partner is this project, which includes
participation from George Mason University's law
enforcement and nursing programs and Shenandoah
University's pharmacy program.

READI will focus on providing emergency responders with a
thorough understanding of emergency preparedness, while
developing and demonstrating "best practices" for
emergency personnel nationwide.  Curricula will be
designed for working emergency and health professionals,
with training components lasting a week or less.  Class
time will be augmented with demonstrations and practice
scenarios, including mock responses to nuclear,
biological, radiological or conventional terrorist
attacks.

Click here for more information.

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   Chairman Powell Visits Alexandria, Virginia 911 Call
   Center to View Demonstration of Wireless Enhanced 911
                   Location Technology
As the FCC continues outreach efforts related to the
Wireless Enhanced 911 (E911) Coordination Initiative, on
June 20, 2003, FCC Chairman Michael Powell visited a
public safety answering point (PSAP) in Alexandria,
Virginia, to view first-hand wireless location
technologies at work.

After the Communications Center staff explained how the
PSAP functions and how 911 calls are received and
handled, each carrier placed a 911 call on its network,
and the Communications Center staff demonstrated the
current location capabilities of each.  The carriers
included Cingular Wireless, Nextel and AT&T Wireless.

When a 911 call comes in from a wireless phone, the
caller’s phone number and the location of the cell tower
that is transmitting the call will be displayed on the
dispatcher’s screen.  The dispatcher will query the local
exchange carrier’s (the landline carrier’s) Automatic
Location Identification database, which will deliver to
the dispatcher’s computer screen within seconds the
approximate latitude and longitude of the caller.
Special software in the PSAP’s computer will then
translate this information to an actual street address
that will appear on the dispatcher’s screen, again within
several seconds.

While deployment is also progressing at other PSAPs, the
Alexandria PSAP is one of the first to deploy Phase II
wireless E911 technology and the only PSAP in the D.C.
metro area to have Phase II technology that uses an
automated mapping system.

 Click here for more information.

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  Secretary Tom Ridge Announces Members and First Meeting
         of the Homeland Security Advisory Council

Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge is pleased to
announce the appointment of 18 individuals to serve as
members of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC).
The Council will provide advice and recommendations to
the Secretary on homeland security-related issues.  The
HSAC convened for the first time as a Department of
Homeland Security entity on June 30, 2003 at the
Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC.

"I am grateful that these accomplished and experienced
citizens are willing to serve and provide valuable
insights on critical homeland security issues," said
Secretary Ridge. "By bringing together members from
diverse public and private sector backgrounds, the
Council will provide recommendations that will help DHS
more effectively integrate our efforts to make the
homeland more secure."

Click here for more information.

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   CFR Task Force Identifies Critical Funding Needs for
                     First Responders

The Council on Foreign Relations sponsored an Independent
Task Force on Emergency Responders, a blue-ribbon panel
of Nobel laureates, U.S. military leaders, former
high-level government officials, and other senior
experts, led by former Senator Warren B. Rudman and
advised by former White House terrorism and
cyber-security chief Richard A. Clarke that  marks the
first time that data from emergency responder communities
has been brought together to estimate national needs.

The Task Force met with emergency responder organizations
across the country and asked them what additional
programs they truly need--not a wish list--to establish a
minimum effective response to a catastrophic terrorist
attack. These presently unbudgeted needs total $98.4
billion, according to the emergency responder community
and budget experts.

The Task Force also identified two major obstacles
hampering America's emergency preparedness efforts.
First, because we lack preparedness standards, it is
difficult to know what we need and how much it will cost.
Second, funding for emergency responders has been
sidetracked and stalled due to a politicized
appropriations process, slowness in the distribution of
the funds by federal agencies, and bureaucratic red tape
at all levels of government.

Click here for more information or to view the full
report of the Task Force.

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 House Bill to Include Firefighter Assistance Grants Under
           Homeland Security Appropriations Act

On June 24, 2003 the House of Representatives passed
HR2555, a bill that includes Firefighter Assistance
Grants under the Department of Homeland Security
Appropriations Act of 2004. The measure was introduced by
United States Congressman Harold "Hal" Rogers (KY-5) and
calls for $750 million for necessary expenses, not
otherwise provided for, for programs as authorized by
section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act
of 1974  to remain available through September 30, 2005:
Provided, That up to 5 percent of this amount shall be
transferred to `Preparedness, Mitigation, Response, and
Recovery' for program administration..  Another bill in
front of the Senate calls for this amount to be increased
to $900 million.

Both bills will now go the Senate Homeland Security
Appropriations Committee.

Click here for more information.

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                         APCO News

APCO Names Bill Cade 9-1-1 Director

The Association of Public-safety Communications Officials
(APCO) International, Inc. announced the addition of
William "Bill" Cade to its headquarters staff. Cade has
been named the association's director of 9-1-1 services
and operations.

Cade brings 36 years of expertise in public safety
communications to APCO. Currently, he is director of the
Regional Public Safety Communications Center for the
cities of Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater,
Fla., a consolidated center whose creation he
spearheaded. He has resigned that position, effective
Aug. 15. Prior to coming to Florida, he was executive
director of the Jasper County (Mo.) Emergency Services
Board.

Annual Conference Early Registration Ends July 18

Early registration ends on July 18, 2003.  Do not wait
until the last minute! If you do not register by July 18,
you will need to register on site at an adjusted rate.

                CATEGORY          BEFORE   ON-SITE
                                  JULY 18
       Member Full                  $380     $430
       Non-Member Full              $490     $540
       New Member Deal              $445     $495
       Member Day Pass M T W TH      $65      $85
       Non-Member Day Pass M T W
       TH                            $85     $110
       Spouse, Guest or Child, 6
       and Older
       *Children 5 and Under        $205      $215
       FREE
Click here to register or for more information.

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