APCO 2017’s Second General Business Session began with Executive Director and CEO Derek Poarch’s state of the association report. APCO’s Certified Public-Safety Executive (CPE) program was a success in its first year, with 32 graduates, as was the completion of Project 43 on Broadband Implications for PSAPs, which came together with the efforts of nearly 80 members and staff. Poarch reported that the association’s goals scorecard was balanced, and he announced that membership had grown to an all-time high of 30,474. AFC Spectrum Management Services serve a majority of the market, and the APCO Institute had a record year, with $4 million in revenue and training delivered to more than 20,000 professionals.  As part of APCO’s educational mission related to public safety technology, it held two Emerging Technology Forums and created a new one-day “Envision” event that will first be held in October 2017.

APCO’s efforts to ensure appropriate respect and recognition for public safety communications professionals are ongoing, and association has intensified outreach and advocacy related to revision of the federal government’s Standard Occupational Classification. Mr. Poarch also described a recent meeting in which APCO and NENA leadership reached a consensus on the need for federal support for next generation technologies and collaboration to ensure interoperability for NG9-1-1.

Three of APCO’s federal partners then provided updates. Ronald Hewitt, Director of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) described efforts to develop new curricula to address new communications technologies, partnerships focused on enhancing emergency communications interoperability, and the next SAFECOM nationwide survey, which will collect information about emergency communications capabilities at all levels of government across the nation.

John Merrill, Director of the DHS Office for Interoperability & Compatibility (OIC), briefed attendees on upgrades to the Computer Assisted Pre-coordination and Resource Database System (CAPRAD), work to identify mission capability gaps and facilitate rapid development of solutions to address responders’ technology needs, and the AUDREY (Assistant for Understanding Data through Reasoning, Extraction & sYnthesis), a cloud-based application for better situational awareness for first responders.

David Furth, Deputy Bureau Chief for the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provided updates on leadership changes at the FCC and a variety of recent and ongoing public safety actions.  He also commended APCO for completion of the Project 43 report and for its commitment to improve the transition to NG9-1-1.

Returning to association business, Quorum Resolution #1, related to privileges of the Online Membership category, was moved to a vote without any members raising issues for discussion. The motion was passed unanimously.

APCO President Cheryl J. Greathouse presented the 2018 executive committee election results: 2017 Second Vice President Holly Wayt moves to first vice president, and Tracey Hillburn fills the seat of second vice president. At the conclusion of APCO 2017, Greathouse will become the immediate past president, and 2017 First Vice President Martha Carter will move to president.