Location Accuracy and Public Safety
Presenters: John Snapp, West Safety Services; Reinhard Ekl, RapidSOS; Joe Marx, AT&T; Ryan Jensen, T-Mobile

In this panel, experts from West Safety Services, RapidSOS, AT&T and T-Mobile discussed efforts to improve location accuracy for 9-1-1 calls.

John Snapp from West Safety Services kicked off the session explaining the differences between traditional location determination mechanisms and newer technologies such as device-based hybrid location. Reinhard Ekl from RapidSOS described his company’s approach to providing supplemental information, including locations, through an IP-based clearinghouse that exists in parallel to the traditional 9-1-1 infrastructure. Attendees then heard from Joe Marx, AT&T, and Ryan Jensen, T-Mobile, about the wireless carriers’ progress on improving 9-1-1 location information, including implementation of device-based hybrid and dispatchable location technologies.

Questions from the audience focused on the differences between the device-based location information delivered through the 9-1-1 infrastructure and supplemental data solutions, exploring issues of delivery timing, accuracy and cybersecurity. An audience member ended the session with the sentiment that location accuracy is a key issue for PSAPs and emphasized the importance of industry efforts to get more accurate locations for 9-1-1 calls.

– Covered by Michelle Cahn

Challenges Faced When Recruiting and Retaining Communications Personnel in the 21st Century
Presenter: Sheila Hanna, APCO

“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” Steve Jobs’s famous quote set the stage for Wednesday afternoon’s class presented by Sheila Hanna, education and training administrator for APCO. She gave the audience excellent tips and advice based on data from a study in progress.

Discussions included the wording on job ads, resume screeners, responding to applicants and keeping them apprised of the process as well as how long the recruiting process is. Challenges are to shorten the process to keep applicants engaged. Background and credit checks, screenings, conditional job offerings were all discussed and have huge impacts on the process.

We also discussed the interview itself — are you conducting them with a welcoming attitude, or simply from the perspective of whether they are good enough for your agency? “If you want to hire great people, you have to see the recruiting process as a sales and marking activity, because that’s what it is.”

Also discussed was the use of social media as a recruiting tool. Use photos and videos to make your center as appealing as possible and a desired place to work. You are promoting not only your open positions, but your center’s culture and brand. Give your job seekers a positive view of your agency and make it a go-to for top talent. Using data analytics allows new insight and pattern prediction not only for potential candidates but for current employees. You can also use pulse surveys to get anonymous feedback.

Also discussed are the generational factors that go into recruiting and retention. Each generation looks for different things when seeking and retaining employment. Life events, general trends and behaviors all factor into what each candidate is seeking.  Being aware of those factors goes a long way, along with those raised when mixing these generations, to hiring and retaining employees.

Hanna gave us much food for thought and lots of new tools for recruiting and retaining in our communication centers.

– Covered by Cheryl Konarski

Annual Chapter Officer & CCAM Breakfast
Presenters: Stephen Martini, Tennessee APCO President; Bruce Romero, Colorado APCO President; Gloria Little, Texas APCO President; Derrick Duggins, CCAM

The focus of this breakfast is to provide information to the chapters about how they can grow their organization in both numbers and involvement. This has been the theme of this breakfast for the past several years.

Stephen Martini spoke about his experience in finding a new Chapter Commercial Advisory Member (CCAM).

Bruce Romero spoke about the importance of commercial member partnerships. Gloria Little spoke about voting rights for CCAMs, Derrick Duggins spoke about what value a CCAM can bring to your chapter.

This agenda was a very open discussion lead by the presenters and resulted in a sharing of information among the chapters. The meeting wrapped up with questions and answers. It was a great way for the chapters to share their concerns and obtain feedback from the room.

Last year, the North Carolina chapter presented the idea of streaming chapter meetings live on Facebook. This resulted in a large increase in attendance in both in person and online participation.  The room was asked how many chapters implemented this after hearing about it last year. Representatives of six chapters in the room raised their hands and reported the same success.

Comments from members included: “This was awesome, I learned so much!” “I took a ton of notes and cannot wait to bring the ideas back to my chapter;” “I am going to recommend the Facebook live idea to my chapter and I am excited to see the results;” and “This was the most valuable event that I attended during the conference.”

– Covered by Julie Heimkes

APCO Leadership Program: RPL and CPE

Presenters: Dr. Timothy Scanlon, Dr. Steven Edwards and Charles Vitale, RPL, CPE

Wednesday afternoon’s session on the Registered Public-Safety Leader (RPL) and Certified Public-Safety Executive  (CPE) Programs was well attended. Many graduates of both programs attended and provided testimonials for the programs, as well as information for those interested in enrolling in these programs.

Leadership is about relationships. According to Edwards, “You cannot create a 21^st Century organization on a 20^th Century model.” The APCO RPL and CPE programs are designed to bring leaders in public safety communications into that 21^st century by providing them with the tools to create that model through their leadership.

You don’t have to be in management, supervision or administration to be a leader. These programs stress that — leaders are found throughout your center at every level.  The RPL (Registered Public Safety Leader) and CPE (Certified Public Safety Executive) programs take those who have the desire to lead and give them the tools to do that.

The RPL program is the first of its kind. It contains elite members of public safety communications.  Newly refreshed materials for this program will roll out in 2019. The courses included in this program are Managing Organizations and Change; Communicating with Clarity; Developing the Talent Pool; Building Connections and Consensus; Fostering Teamwork and Collaboration; and the Organization, Mission and Governance of APCO.  Also discussed was the service project that is a crucial part of the program, and the requirements for admission to the program.  The RPL program is an online course through APCO Institute with a recertification process every four years.

The second leadership program offered by APCO is the CPE program. This program was created as a result of requests from RPL graduates looking for another level of leadership training.  It’s for those seeking to advance in the profession, enhance individual performance, and who aspire to do more in their agency, industry and/or the APCO organization.

Both programs have scholarship opportunities, at the APCO International as well as many state chapters. Find more information here.

– Covered by Cheryl Konarski

LMR to LTE: Best Ppractices to Ensure Ongoing Public Safety Interoperability
Presenter: Stephen Devine, AT&T FirstNet Strategy and Policy

This session’s focus was on best practices for allowing agencies to leverage existing technologies while also incorporating new technologies. Other details included considerations from the user perspective such as finding the right product for the job, which may include PTT with consumer-grade devices (smartphones and tablets) and communication for non-radio users while still ensuring encryption.

Some challenges include seamless integration across different platforms and products, on-boarding and setting up controls for talkgroup access, and fleet map recommendations and configurations.

The readily foreseeable benefits include accessing PTT from smartphones as more administrators and command staff are migrating to smart devices rather than traditional portable radios, which also affords them the ability to communicate long-distance with deployed teams and across the globe.

Standards are critical and should give consideration to the end user as well as how and when they need access while still providing options to create an interconnected first responder. These details are important in initial set up and release, as well as clearly defining mission-critical verses non-mission critical needs.

– Covered by Christine Massengale

Using Video Content Analytics in the Comm Center
Presenters: Kevin Kearns and Mike Anderson, IXP Corporation

This presentation discussed the increasingly complex role of the emergency communications center with regard to video and other big data challenges, including concepts for managing the content.

Dispatchers are always doing information triage—making decisions on what information is useful and possibly critical for the first responders. The content of video can be a challenge.

For centers that have a lot of cameras to monitor, doing a search for a specific vehicle or person can be daunting. To review 10 hours of video it would easily take two-plus hours for a frame-by-frame search. The use of video analytics software will turn that task into two minutes. Video analytics can cause alarm triggers for specific events like a vehicle going the wrong direction or a package left alone.

Presenter Mike Anderson provided an example that painted a very clear picture on how video analytics can be used in a dispatch center. The customer was Caifornia State University Northridge Campus. The university has cameras throughout the campus, but simply watching them or trying to rewind for information was not effective. The chief wanted a video analytics system and there was one requirement: it could not affect her already-busy dispatchers. Generally, there is one dispatcher on duty.  The smart thing they did was limit what was triggered on the cameras. They wanted to use this to lower some crime rates including vandalism, theft from vehicle and vehicle theft. By setting these parameters crimes fell by over 50 percent and law enforcement was able to prosecute more cases with the video evidence.

It was a great presentation on new technology that can be used effectively even in a small dispatch center.

– Covered by Julie Heimkes

Washington, D.C.’s, PSAP Planning for the 2017 Presidential Inauguration and Women’s March
Presenter: Karima Holmes, Washington, D.C. Office of Unified Communications

Karima Holmes, Washington, D.C.’s, Director of the Office of Unified Communications (OUC), shared her expertise in planning large-scale events for PSAPs. Director Holmes manages a consolidated emergency 9-1-1 and non-emergency 3-1-1 call center for Washington, D.C.’s, emergency city services.

Ms. Holmes shared her expert knowledge and experience on how her PSAP handled and overcame increased security risks during the 2017 Presidential Inauguration. “How will your PSAP handle large events in your city?” she asked.

Holmes broke down the ins and outs of planning an event such as the 2017 Presidential Inauguration and then the unexpected 1 million-plus people at the Women’s March on Washington the day after the Inauguration. Various out-of-the-box tips were given on analyzing risks and dealing with the unpredictable. Holmes covered all areas of large event planning that included communications, PR, demonstrations, text -to-911, EOC, reunification, staffing and call volume management. Many pluses and minuses were given regarding the outcome, results, and lessons learned by the agency.

“The Day After,” is how Holmes refers to The Women’s March on Washington, which was estimated to be three times the size of the crowd that attended the 2017 Presidential Inauguration. Holmes shared the logistical challenges that come with planning a large-scale event.

With planning the unexpected, one of the largest demonstrations in American history, turned out to be a successful and peaceful event. She emphasized how relying on neighboring partners is critical to PSAP success. Director Holmes gave attendees an effective training experience for planning large-scale events and also provided insight on how to improve performance while handling a wide range of events within the city and PSAP.

– Covered by Tiffany Fuller

FirstNet Users
Presenters: Ray Lehr; Todd Early; Captain Justin M. Schreck; Stephen M. Willoughby

Retired fire chief Ray Lehr first provided an update on FirstNet’s progress including subscribership levels, Band 14 buildout and recent FirstNet use cases. The session continued with a panel featuring representatives from public safety agencies in Texas, Pennsylvania and Virginia who described their experiences using the FirstNet network, for example, during incidents such as wildfires, hurricanes, active shooters, and during special events and protests.  They also discussed the benefits of FirstNet including the ability for first responders to be able to communicate when needed while achieving cost savings.

– Covered by APCO’s Government Relations Office

An Update From the Public Safety Communications Research Program
Presenter: Dereck Orr, Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Dereck Orr, Division Chief of the Public Safety Communications Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, described research and development taking place for public safety communications and efforts to get innovators and technology developers involved in enhancing public safety.  He provided an overview of the Public Safety Communications Research grant program and prize challenges.  Projects that are underway are focusing on enhanced user interfaces and experiences, location-based services, mission-critical voice, the transition from Land Mobile Radio to LTE, public safety analytics, resilient systems, and security.

– Covered by APCO’s Government Relations Office

When Character Counts
Presenter: Cheryl Konarski, Dade County Emergency Services, Greenfield, Missouri

The discussion opened with objectives to identify the most important characteristics we seek in our employees, discussing the importance of each one, how it can affect job performance and how these characteristics change as we progress.

Important characteristics we seek in our employees include duty and dedication, professionalism, selfless service, ethics, inquisitiveness, thoroughness, adaptability, confidence, being proactive, integrity, duck-like, timely, patience, empathetic, self-worth, knowledgeable, caring, quick and a multi-tasker. Each of these characteristics helps develop and drive your personnel in your center at all levels. Regardless of role, these character traits drive performance.

Each person has many if not all of these characteristics. They evolve with time—nurture them and remind yourselves daily how much we put into this profession. Take care of yourself and your co-workers and continue to mentor each other. Build each other’s strengths and work on areas to improve. It is a road traveled together that builds a strong center.

Cheryl wrapped up her presentation with a wonderful and emotional #IAM911 video that inspired many smiles of appreciation from APCO members in attendance. After the conclusion of this presentation, Zim Schwartze, director of Springfield-Greene County 911 thanked Cheryl for all of her hard work and dedication that benefits the entire state of Missouri.

Observer’s note: If you have ideas about improving your recruiting, training, and overall employee development programs, you will definitely want to listen to this presentation online.

– Covered by Brian Butler

Identifying and Mitigating Cyberattacks
Presenter: Megan Bixler, APCO

Cyber-attacks are occurring every day against public and private entities. In the early 1980’s, cyber-attacks against Industrial Control Systems (ICS) began with a Trojan malware. One of the more famous and widely publicized attacks against ICS was the Stuxnet attack.  This attack was very calculated and took over five years to implement and execute. The result of this attack against an Iranian Nuclear site caused the centrifuges to malfunction. In order to bake-in cyber solutions, known attack methods should be identified. The below attack methods were discussed:

• Ransomware
• Spyware
• Adware
• Rooters
• Phishing
• SMishing
• Spoofing / Swatting
• Social Engineering

Cyber-crime is only likely to increase, despite the best efforts of government agencies and cyber security experts. Its growth is being driven by the expanding number of services available online and the increasing sophistication of cyber criminals who are engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with security experts. The critical first step is to establish an information risk management regime that identifies the security risks faced and the policy for dealing with them. PSAPs should protect their information and communications technology by adopting standard security measures and managing how the systems are configured and used. They should also disable unnecessary functions and keep security patches up to date. Basic cyber-hygiene best practices are an excellent first step to mitigating cyber-attacks.

Should a PSAP experience a cyber-attack, they should:

• File a complaint with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) portal (ic3.gov).  In the report, include keywords such as “PSAP” and “public safety.”
• Contact local authorities.
• Contact the Department of Homeland Security— National Coordinating Center for Communications — National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center.  DHS-NCC-NCCIC can help coordinate and distribute information (Phone: (703) 235-5080, email: ncc@hq.dhs.gov).

– Courtesy of Megan Bixler