Save the date!
9-1-1 Goes to Washington (#NENAGTW) is going virtual for 2021! This FREE one-day event is your opportunity to hear from 9-1-1 public-policy experts and government leaders on today’s most pressing 9-1-1 and emergency communications issues, including telecommunicator reclassification and Next Generation 9-1-1 funding. Plan now to join us on Tuesday, April 13 where you will:

• Learn how you can shape the national 9-1-1 agenda and move key introduced and pending legislation forward;
• Hear directly from members of Congress, administration officials, and key staff about the nation’s 9-1-1 policy landscape and Washington’s emergency-communications priorities; and
• Gain the skills you need to become an advocate for 9-1-1 in Washington... in-person, on the phone, or via Zoom!

Stay tuned for additional details and registration info soon!

NENA is happy to announce the availability of this year's Gold Line Telecommunicator Continuing Education Scholarships!

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 2021 Conference & Expo
• Complimentary registration for a one-day pre-conference course of choice at NENA 2021
• 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 April 2, 2021. Scholarship winners will be notified no later than late-April.

Click here to apply for a scholarship.

At NENA 2021, you will not only hear about the public safety issues of today and tomorrow, but also gain practical, real-world know-how that you can take home with you and put into action immediately. Featuring inspiring keynote speakers, more than ninety hours of breakout sessions that inform and empower, career-building courses and workshops with real-world applications, nightly networking events that help you make the right connections, and an Expo Hall showcasing cutting-edge products and services, NENA 2021 is the must-attend event of the year. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of it!

Click here to register and here to book your housing. 

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 31, 2021.

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 2021 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 31, 2021.

It’s time to renew your NENA membership! You can do it in just a few quick steps: 

And don’t forget, group memberships are a great way to share all that NENA has to offer with everyone in your organization! And if you're retired (and have been a NENA member for at least 12 years), you can apply for our "Retired" member category. Click here for details.

The National Police Foundation, with support from The Starbucks Foundation and The Motorola Solutions Foundation, is pleased to announce the National First Responder COVID-19 Grant Relief Program. This program will allow first responders and survivors of first responders in underserved communities an opportunity to request a grant to reimburse select COVID-19 related expenses, such as mental health and wellness costs, (i.e., counseling services, suicide prevention), unanticipated dependent care, disinfecting services, and similar costs. These micro-grants may be awarded in an amount up to $1,000. 

First responders or family members interested in applying for a grant can review eligibility and apply here.

Discounted Cleaning Supplies From AvKARE
AvKARE is extending a discount code for all NENA members, 9-1-1 centers, and their employees on their most popular cleaning and disinfecting supplies through March 31, 2021 at store.avkare.com. The promo code "EMERGENCY" in all caps will yield a 25% discount ($50 minimum order, before the discount, and receive free shipping) on all Waltz D, Waltz Free, masks, and Victory Electrostatic Sprayers. 

COVID Resources
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. 

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

Voting for NENA's 2021-22 Board of Directors opened on Monday, March 15. On that day, eligible members received an email with a direct link to NENA's online ballot along with voting instructions. If you believe you did not receive your ballot, then please check your spam folder. Contact Bri Robinson with any questions about your ballot.

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. 

Recently, NENA and allied groups sent letters to U.S. House and Senate leaders and the chairs and ranking members of the relevant congressional committees, offering text for a Next Generation 9-1-1 Act of 2021 that would accelerate the deployment of state-of-the-art NG9-1-1 across the United States.  

Representatives from NENA and other groups have been working with congressional leaders to craft 9-1-1 language for inclusion in the major infrastructure bill being prepared for votes this spring. But the "LIFT America" bill introduced today includes elements that could complicate and delay NG9-1-1 deployments, waste scarce federal resources, and shift authority over 9-1-1 from states and localities to the federal government. 

"The infrastructure bill is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix the cracks in the foundation of all public safety response: America’s 9-1-1 systems," said Brian Fontes, CEO of NENA. "It is absolutely essential that we get it right. But unfortunately, the language introduced today could strand already-substantial state investments in NG9-1-1 deployments, and create cybersecurity risks for state, local, and tribal governments."  

Click here to read more.

Public Safety Dispatch Call Taker | Napa Central Dispatch | Napa, CA
Emergency Communications Assistant Manager (Training/Quality Assurance) | Cincinnati Emergency Communications Center | Cincinnati, OH
Senior Consultant/PMP | MCM Consulting Group, Inc. | Pennsylvania or Ohio
System Analyst 9-1-1 Public Safety | Houston-Galveston Area Council | Houston, TX

See these jobs, and many more, here!