As NENA continues to closely monitor the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, we have developed a list of resources for members, chapters, and the greater 9-1-1 community.

NENA's COVID-19 resource page contains items including PSAP-guidance documents, EMD protocols, on-demand webinars, CoOPs and planning checklists, event-planner assistance, public education graphics, health and hygiene best practices, and many more resources to support you and your work during this ever-evolving situation. This page is updated with new information as it becomes available, usually daily.

Do you have or know of other resources that should be posted? If so, you can contact NENA's Communications Director, Chris Nussman.

Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic From the 9-1-1 Center
Wednesday, March 25 | 3PM Eastern (live) or On-Demand
FREE! Click here to register!

With the world gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic, new questions arise every day about how we do our jobs, keep ourselves and our teams safe, and continue to protect the public. Attend this special, free to all, #WebinarWednesday to learn:

• How to avoid the spread of respiratory illness in the workplace;
• Ways to maintain the operation of your center during the pandemic;
• Answers to HR-related questions on topics such as requiring screening of staff, recall or cancel of vacations, and travel prohibition; and
• Best practices for non-essential staff who are working from home. 

Presenters: John Kelly, ENP - Ottosen Britz Kelly Cooper Gilbert & DiNolfo, Ltd. | Jamison Peevyhouse, ENP - TN Emergency Communications Board

CEUs: Attend this webinar and receive one-half ENP re-certification point towards the ten-point maximum for NENA courses in the Professional Development CEU/Course Credits section.

Can't attend on the 25th? Register now and you will receive an email after the live presentation with instructions for accessing the on-demand webinar archive.

Webinar Access Info: Dial-in and web-access details provided automatically via email upon registration.

NENA is pleased to announce that the new Enhanced PSAP Registry and Census (EPRC) service has completed its beta period and enters its first stable release. The EPRC provides the ability to find 24x7 call transfer information for any PSAP in the United States and its territories. The EPRC completely replaces the legacy NENA PSAP Registry (NPR), and requires issuance of unique credentials to each NENA validated user.

The EPRC is GIS-forward with a modern visual user interface, and it works like most popular mapping programs. Queries can include simply pointing on a location on a map or inputting coordinates, a community name, landmark or address. Filters are available to inquire for specific PSAP characteristics, and in addition, users have the ability to draw a map boundary around a specific geographic area and view applicable PSAP info within that boundary.

It is imperative that all legacy NPR users obtain new credentials (ID and Password) for the EPRC as soon as possible, since access and familiarization with the new EPRC is necessary before the old NPR is turned down soon. Users both old and new can find instructions to register for the EPRC at eprc.nena.org.

Click here to keep reading about new EPRC features and enhancements...

Congratulations to the thirty-nine 9-1-1 professionals who passed the winter 2020 ENP exam and are now certified Emergency Number Professionals! Well done! For more information on how you too can achieve this prestigious professional designation, visit the ENP webpage. 

NENA is proud to announce the commencement of planning for the first trans-continental interoperability testing event for next-generation NG9-1-1 and NG112 emergency calling.

This event will be realized through the union of NENA’s ninth Industry Collaboration Event (ICE 9) with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute's (ETSI) and European Emergency Number Association's (EENA) fourth NG112 PlugTest. This event will be volunteer driven, with charter, objectives, test scenarios and findings developed through NENA’s ICE planning and steering committees, ETSI and EENA.

The ICE 9 + NG112 PlugTest 4 event will focus on international and global interoperability testing through jointly sponsored tests between NENA and ETSI/EENA. This event will cover a variety of scenarios including:

• ESInet / NGCS Interoperability testing between US and European environments, with lab-to-lab testing taking place between the NENA ICE 9 lab and the ETSI PlugTest 4 lab;
• Voice communications interoperability NG9-1-1 and NG112 core services;
• Testing of international peering scenarios and data interchange challenges/issues;
• Internet of Things (IoT) and automatic/non-interactive emergency calls; and
• Initial conformance testing of global implementations compared to normative standards including the NENA i3 family of standards the ETSI EMTEL specification.

 

Click here to learn more.

NENA is happy to announce the availability of this year's Gold Line Telecommunicator Continuing Education Scholarships! Thanks to contributions of members like you and our industry partners, NENA is able to grant fifty scholarships this year - more than double the number we've been able to provide in the past!

This scholarship opportunity is open to any telecommunicator, call taker, or dispatcher with at least one year of experience and in good standing with his or her current employer. Supervisory and other managerial personnel are not eligible for this award. Each Telecommunicator Continuing Education Scholarship recipient receives the following: 

• Complimentary registration to the NENA 2020 Conference & Expo;
• Complimentary registration for a one-day pre-conference course of choice at NENA 2020; and
• A $1,000 travel stipend.

To be eligible for a scholarship, you must complete and submit the scholarship application and provide a current resume. Applications will be accepted through March 27, 2020. Scholarship winners will be notified no later than mid-April.

Click here to apply for a scholarship.

Special thanks to AT&T, Atos, Comtech, Comcast, CTIA, DataMark, Inteliquent, Motorola Solutions Foundation, NextNav, NGA 911, and RapidDeploy for their support of the Gold Line Scholarship program.

At NENA 2020 you will not only hear about the public safety issues of the present and the future, but also gain practical, real world know-how that you can take home with you and put into action immediately. You will be connected to the pulse of 9-1-1, joining thousands of public safety professionals, telecommunications specialists, and federal, state, and local policymakers for a week filled with chances to develop a keen understanding of the near and long-term issues facing public safety and build the skill-sets necessary to tackle these challenges head on.

No matter what your role is in public safety, NENA 2020 delivers the education, resources, and contacts you need to be better equipped to do your job and actively prepare for the road ahead.

Click here to register and here to learn more.

NENA has established a scholarship program to honor the commitment of William "Bill" McMurray, ENP, Past President, to the mission of NENA and 9-1-1 education. The scholarship will be awarded for the NENA 2020 Conference & Expo, and covers the conference registration fee and four nights of lodging at a conference hotel (to be determined by NENA upon awarding of scholarship). Travel expenses to and from the conference and meals are not included in this award.

Please visit the scholarship webpage for information about the criteria, application procedure, and responsibilities. Click here to submit your application online. The application deadline is March 27, 2020.

The William E. Stanton Award is NENA's highest honor. It is bestowed upon an individual who has not only excelled in his or her everyday job, but has gone above and beyond to further NENA's goals. Nominations for this prestigious annual award are now open.

Click here for additional information on the award, including criteria, past recipients and more. Click here to submit your nomination online. The deadline for nominations is March 27, 2020.

An ENP scholarship opportunity is now available to current NENA members who meet the eligibility requirements for ENP Certification and plan to sit for the exam by January 2021.

Five ENP scholarships will be awarded (one per membership region). Each scholarship recipient will receive complimentary registration to take the ENP exam during the Summer 2020, Fall 2020, or Winter 2021 examination periods.

Candidates must complete and submit the online application by Friday, March 6. Scholarship winners will be notified by Friday, March 27.

NENA is issuing a challenge to each chapter to increase the number of ENPs in the state (or province) between now and this coming June! The two winning chapters will each receive one free ENP Application (valued at $420) for either the Winter 2021 or Spring 2021 exam window. Here’s how it works:

• Each newly-certified ENP during the Spring ‘20, Summer ‘20, and Fall '20 exam periods will be counted towards the chapter total.
• The chapter with the most new ENPs and the chapter that has the highest proportional increase in ENPs will each win.
• Winners will be notified by November 30, 2020.

Now it's time to get out there and start promoting the ENP Certification Program! Good luck!

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation, NENA, in consultation with our course hosts, has made the decision to postpone the remainder of our in-person classes for the month of March. Rescheduled dates will be posted as they are confirmed.

04.06.20 | (5-day course) | Center Manager Certification Program (CMCP) | Wheaton, IL | Register
04.07.20 | Tactical Dispatch for the Telecommunicator | Elkton, MD | Register 
04.08.20 | (3-day course) | 9-1-1 Center Supervisor Program | Winchester, VA | Register
4.17.20 | Preventing Telecommunicator Tunnel Vision | Lakewood, CO | Register 
4.20.20 | (5-day course) | Center Manager Certification Program (CMCP) | Brighton, CO | Register
4.21.20 | Enhanced Caller Management | Washington, D.C. | Register
4.22.20 | Tactical Dispatch for the Telecommunicator | Oregon, IL | Register
4.22.20 | Enhanced Caller Management | Washington, D.C. | Register
4.23.20 | Enhanced Caller Management | Washington, D.C. | Register
4.24.20 | Advanced Police Dispatching | Washington, D.C. | Register
4.27.20 | (3-day course) | 9-1-1 Center Supervisor Program | Muskegon, MI | Register

Check out the NENA Education Calendar to see additional upcoming classes!

Voting for NENA's 2020-21 Board of Directors opened on Monday, March 16. On that day, eligible members received an email with a direct link to NENA's online ballot along with voting instructions. Once a member logs in to the voting system, he or she is able to review the nominations and vote. After officially casting a vote, the voter is not able to change his or her vote or access the ballot again.

Click here to learn more about the election and view the candidates. 

NENA's Impact of IoT Devices and Emergency Calling Applications Information Document describes the impact of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and emergency calling applications (apps) on 9‑1‑1. Developers of IoT devices, and developers and managers of systems that employ these devices, should consider this document in the early phases of design and development, to address the potential impact on 9‑1‑1 operations, and to assure that their implementation(s) are effective in their intended emergency notification to 9‑1‑1 services. This document discusses impacts to the operations of 9‑1‑1 system operators and PSAPs caused by emergency calls and data received from IoT devices and apps.

Members of the Working Group are to download the document and submit comments by going here and selecting "Add a Comment" from the "Edit" icon. All others should download the document and submit comments by going here and selecting "Add a Comment" from the "Document Actions" icon. Please complete all requested data and "Save" OR if submitting multiple comments, select "Save and Add Another."

If submitting a substantial number of Substantive comments and/or edits, commenters may add a single comment in NWS Comment Manager and attach an edited version of the document containing tracked changes. To do this, scroll down to "Add Supporting File" on the comment page and select the file you have edited.

If you are providing editorial comments, such as corrections to typos, grammatical errors, style/numbering errors, and incorrect references/links to documents, please document them under one comment and list the page and line number for each.

All comments are due by 11:59PM Eastern on April 24. You may contact the NENA Committee Resource Manager with any questions or concerns.

Having adjudicated all comments, the subject document is now considered "stable." Per NENA IPR, Section 4.5 a "Stable Form Notice" is being issued and can be seen by clicking here.

NENA seeks to fill a vacancy on the Education Advisory Board (EAB) with a NENA member in good standing who possesses the desire and dedication to become part of the team charged with carrying out NENA’s educational mission.

Candidates are required to be 9-1-1 professionals that are members of NENA in good standing, of good moral character, and possess the skills necessary to support and direct NENA’s educational mission and goals. Candidates holding the Emergency Number Professional (ENP) certification are preferred.

Learn more about the commitments associated with serving on the EAB at nena.org/eab-purpose.

Applications are due by Friday, April 3. Click here to apply.

The 9-1-1 Acute/Traumatic and Chronic Stress Management Standard is being updated and volunteers are needed to assist in this effort. The standard defines the occurrence of specific stress-related health risks, articulate the benefits of addressing these risks, and empower PSAPs to create comprehensive resilience programs. Click here to volunteer.

The Best Practices for Mental Health Providers Working Group seeks to increase the awareness and knowledge of mental health providers (counselors, psychologists, social workers, etc) to the unique stressors and mental health challenges faced by the 9-1-1 community. The WG will work towards the following goals: Compile valuable information regarding 9-1-1 telecommunicators, the unique environment in which they work, and the stressors that they routinely encounter through this work; review of the literature relating to the prevalence of interpersonal and behavioral health concerns associated with the 9-1-1 telecommunicators; and identify the potential impact of the mental health issues faced by telecommunicators on the individual, workplace, community, and friends and family. Click here to volunteer.

There are almost 1,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) per day in the United States, with an average of only 10% of those patients surviving to hospital discharge. For a patient in cardiac arrest, every second matters, with their chance of survival decreasing by 10% for every 60 seconds CPR and AED interventions are delayed. The actions telecommunicators take can make the difference between life and death. 

The standard developed by this working group will provide guidance to PSAPs on programmatic and performance benchmarks that will strengthen the Chain of Survival and telecommunicator performance, which are essential to save more lives from OHCA. Volunteers with knowledge of PSAP operations, EMD, QI, training, CPR, Resuscitation Science, and related areas are encouraged to participate. Meetings will be held via conference call at least bi-weekly on a day/time to be decided by consensus of the working group. Join here!