9-1-1 professionals: Please watch this message of thanks and gratitude and know that we've got your back. Email us at president@nena.org with your stories, pictures, and videos highlighting how you and your teams are getting by and the extraordinary work you're doing during the COVID-19 crisis. We want to help share your stories — OUR STORIES — with the world.

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.

Recent updates include:

• NENA's Recommendations for PSAPS & Emergency-Services Organizations During the COVID-19 Outbreak
• COVID-19 PSAP Checklist, covering best practices for social distancing, policies, health procedures, public information, and cleaning
• Essential Employee Designation Letter template
• The EPA's searchable list of EPA approved disinfectants for use against COVID-19
• NENA's on-demand Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic From the 9-1-1 Center webinar

 

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

Every April, America recognizes the importance of 9-1-1 by designating it as National 9-1-1 Education Month. In communities nationwide, public-safety educators promote vital messages about how, when, and why to call 9-1-1. This year, because of the COVID-19 crisis, NENA encourages the promotion of our social-share graphic — available at nena.org/covid19 — detailing when people should call 9-1-1 about coronavirus.

Additionally, while hundreds of millions of Americans are sheltering in place in response to the pandemic crisis, 9-1-1 professionals are still serving on the front lines of emergency response every day. NENA thanks every 9-1-1 professional for their dedication, selflessness, and courage during these uncertain times.

Stakeholders in the 9-1-1 system this week launched an independent body to achieve greater trust and interoperability in Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) systems.

NENA: The 9-1-1 Association has been a leader in establishing the NG9-1-1 Interoperability Oversight Commission (N9OC), whose mission will be overseeing key programs related to interoperability in NG9-1-1, including the PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) Credentialing Agency (PCA) and the NG9-1-1 Forest Guide.

These programs are required in standards promulgated by NENA and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to promote security and interoperability for NG9-1-1, as well as discoverability and fallback for routing queries.

Click here to read more. 

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.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation, NENA, in consultation with our course hosts, has made the decision to postpone our upcoming in-person classes on a rolling basis. Students who are currently registered for classes will receive email announcements should their class(es) be postponed, as well as new-date notifications once the class(es) are rescheduled.

Visit the NENA Education Calendar to see currently scheduled classes.

Nominations for the 2020-2021 NENA Institute board have been approved by the NENA board of directors. Please welcome Courtney Doberstein to the NENA Institute board in the At-Large #1 position. Courtney has 23 years of experience in the PSAP and is currently the assistant manager for Milwaukee Fire Communications. She has experience on the law enforcement side as well and is participating in an effort to consolidate Milwaukee’s police and fire communications centers. She is a voting member of NENA’s Wellness Committee and serves on the NENA NG9-1-1 Workgroup. 
 
The NENA Institute board for the year beginning June 2020 is:

• President – Vicki Pickett, ENP
• Immediate Past President – Chad Brothers, ENP
• President-Elect – Nick LaMontia, ENP
• Secretary – Brian Godsy, ENP
• Western Region – Steven Morgan, ENP
• North Central Region – Christopher Kindelspire, ENP
• Southeastern Region – Tim Kenyon, ENP
• Northeastern Region – Mark Fletcher, ENP
• Canadian Region – Fadi Dabliz, ENP
• At-Large #1 – Courtney Doberstein, ENP
• At-Large #2 – Megan Witherspoon, ENP
• EAB Representative – TBD (Eric Parry, ENP currently represents the EAB on the NIB)
• NENA Board of Directors Liaison – TBD (Jennifer White, ENP currently represents the Board of Directors on the NIB)
• NENA CEO – Brian Fontes 

 

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 11:59 p.m. 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 who are members of NENA in good standing, of good moral character, and who 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 Wednesday, April 15. 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.