[Originally published in the July/August 2022 PSC magazine.]

Editor’s note: We are excited to be in Anaheim, California for APCO 2022! As you’ve read throughout this issue, this year’s conference has a lot to offer, as does the city of Anaheim. Now it’s time to meet your conference hosts. A special thanks to the Southern California
Chapter of APCO and Pauline Soria, Dispatch Supervisor, UC Irvine Police Department.

By John Wright

The Southern California Chapter of APCO (The California Public-Safety Radio Association) is hosting APCO 2022 in Anaheim, bringing together thousands of public safety professionals from across the nation and across the world to share, research and explore the many facets of public safety communications.

So, why is it called the California Public-Safety Radio Association (CPRA)?

The Southern California Chapter of APCO was founded in 1935 as a statewide group called the California Police Radio Association. Because California is so large, it was decided in 1941 to divide the state between North and South. A line was drawn from east to west through Fresno. The group to the north of Fresno was known as the Northern California Police Communication Officers. This group is now known as the Northern California Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials or NAPCO. The area south of Fresno was known as the California Police Radio Association (CPRA). On April 1, 1945, CPRA became the 13th chartered chapter of the then Associated Police Communications Officers (APCO). In 1953 the CPRA Chapter, in order to better reflect the diversity of its membership, changed its name to the California Public-Safety Radio Association. In 1956, the Association followed suit and changed its name to the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (hereinafter referred to as APCO).

Today, the CPRA Chapter of APCO is made up of over 500 local volunteer public safety professionals from police, fire, EMS, 9-1-1, state/local government, tribal, military, forestry, highway and conservation services who volunteer their time and expertise for the betterment of public safety communications. It represents more than 250 public safety agencies and emergency communications centers that serve over 23 million people throughout Southern California. The CPRA Chapter of APCO meets monthly in various Southern California locations.

John Wright, the 79th president of APCO International, is CFO/PIO – Southern California Chapter of APCO.