AFC, APCO’s frequency coordination department, is pleased to introduce its network of dedicated local advisor volunteers. APCO’s advisors are responsible for frequency coordination in their home state and we would like to bring awareness and recognition to the dedication they exhibit on a daily basis. Please feel free to reach out to our local advisors with any questions dealing with FCC Part 90 licensing and frequency coordination.

Since 1998, Jason Matthews has served in Law Enforcement in the Central Florida Region. Mr. Matthews has had multiple assignments ranging from patrol operations, underwater dive rescue/recovery, technical investigative support, youth services, and telecommunications assignments. He currently supervises telecommunications maintenance and 9-1-1 center training and education for a large full service law enforcement agency.

Mr. Matthews has in depth experience in first response, incident communications/technology and emergency management. Mr. Matthews has served on the Statewide Homeland Security Working Group, representing law enforcement to the communications and logistics committees. As an early adopter, he served in the incident communications unit (COMU) beta program, communications unit leader (COML) and Communications Technician (COMT) trainer, and trainer instructor. He has participated in COMU curriculum development, and providing instructor development/train the trainer programs at the national level. He has also served on multiple regional, statewide and international full scale exercises, as exercise staff, evaluator, and peer-evaluator. Mr. Matthews responded as part of the 1998 Firestorms in the State of Florida, the 2004-05 hurricane season, and numerous other local and regional emergencies planned events, and disasters.

Mr. Matthews has expertise and specialist knowledge in FCC licensing, communications electronics, and subscriber programming and training, and is responsible for those areas in a team environment for daily operations of a large P25 regional trunked radio network. Mr. Matthews serves as chairman of the Florida Region 9 Committee, coordinating 700, 800 MHz and 4.9GHz public safety bands. He has also been an APCO local frequency advisor for about a year and is secretary of the National Regional Planning Council (NRPC). Mr. Matthews also serves as the Vice Chair of the Interoperability Committee and member of the Broadband Working Group, as part of the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC).

Mr. Matthews has been an active amateur radio operator for many years, and credits his foundation in telecommunications and electronics to his many mentors from those early days in ham radio, and career interest in law enforcement to his father, a 40 year veteran lawman. Jason enjoys the outdoors, hiking, camping, scuba diving, and fishing in his native Florida in his time away from work.