NENA NEWS
With sessions dividend into six categories (GIS & Data; PSAP HR & Training; Interoperability; New Devices, Sensors, & Call Centers; NG9-1-1 Management; and Social Media), attendees will work alongside their public safety peers on the issues important to them and help shape the future of emergency communications.
NENA is now accepting proposals and requests to participate for the next NG9-1-1 interoperability Industry Collaboration Event (ICE). ICE 5 will focus on emergency services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. With standards work ongoing and evolving and considering the wide variety of technologies, services, and protocols related to this accessibility issue, vendors are encouraged to submit proposals regarding what they would like to test. Any suggestion will be considered. For example, testing could focus on a solution for handling text messages within the i3 context, or a method for efficiently sending video using NG9-1-1 call routing techniques.
Please respond before December 31, as the ICE team would like to begin planning in January for an anticipated summer 2012 event.
You may provide all comments and responses to Nate Wilcox and Delaine Arnold. If you have questions or would like additional information, contact Nate at 802.723.6218 (office) or 802.673.2048 (cell).
We hope that you have seen The Call, NENA's new quarterly peer-reviewed journal. Currently, the Publications Committee is seeking submissions for publication consideration for the spring 2012 edition. Scheduled to be mailed in time for National 9-1-1 Education Month (April 2012), the theme of the issue will be "Education & Training."
Manuscripts may address any topic(s) that fall under that broad header, including, but not limited to: public education, stakeholder and government education, PSAP training issues and case studies, etc. Readers are expected to include practitioners, administrators, researchers, policy analysts, educators, and students.
Manuscripts should not exceed 20 double-spaced pages and should follow current American Psychological Association (APA) style. Further instructions for authors can be found by clicking here.
Manuscripts may be submitted electronically; send the document as an e-mail attachment to Steve O'Conor, Chair of the Publications Committee, for consideration. The submission deadline for the spring issue is December 31, 2011.
Thinking about exhibiting at the NENA 2012 Conference & Trade Show?
Check out NENA's brand new online prospectus! Showing of your company's products and services in the NENA 2012 exhibit hall is the best way to reach public safety decision makers.
Contact Anna Marie Batt for additional details about exhibiting at NENA's premier annual event. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.
Last month, NENA saw the certification of its 1,000th active Emergency Number Professional (ENP) in North America.
"ENPs are recognized as leaders in the 9-1-1 industry. They contribute greatly to the ongoing success of the 9-1-1 system in both the public and private sectors, are often proactive participants in public safety standards development and working groups, provide local and national leadership to the association, and act as standard-bearers for excellence in the emergency communications field," said NENA President Rick Galway, ENP.
Developed in 1994, the ENP program quickly became the most prestigious professional designation in the 9-1-1 industry. In order to be certified, applicants must first meet eligibility requirements that include a combination of experience, education, and professional development. Candidates then must pass a rigorous examination that demonstrates a mastery of the comprehensive knowledge base required for emergency number program management.
Click here to read the rest of the NENA announcement.
Click here for a list of all our new ENPs from the Fall 2011 class.
Click here for more information on the ENP program.
You no longer have to wait for your renewal statement to arrive in the mail! Save time and paper by renewing online today.
The new NENA website offers you the ability to instantly renew your membership online by credit card or check in just a few easy steps: Simply log in, go to your Manage Profile page, and click on Membership under the "Account History" header to view your renewal options. From there you can pay online and print out a receipt for your records.
Help NENA go green and paperless by taking advantage of this quick and easy renewal option!
As an active member, you know the value of NENA membership. Earn rewards by spreading the word to peers and coworkers about the benefits of belonging to the association!
How it Works
Participation has never been easier. Simply log in to the new nena.org, click on the Refer a Friend link from the "My NENA Account" menu on the left-hand side of the screen, and send out your personal referral link to invite friends and colleagues to join online. This exciting new feature even allows you to track your invitations and rewards points along the way! For those recruits who choose to sign up using NENA's printable membership application, make sure they include your name in the "Referred by" line of the application.
Online Sign-Up = Double the Rewards
For each new member you recruit using the online Refer a Friend system between now and February 29, 2012, you will receive two (2) member-rewards points good towards your choice of prizes. For each new member you recruit using the printable application, you will receive one (1) member-rewards point good towards your choice of prizes. Items available as rewards include mugs, candy jars, and even complimentary registration to NENA 2012. The more you recruit, the greater the prize.
Start recruiting today! Visit the Member Recruitment & Rewards page for a full listing of prizes and full program details.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE
PSAPs around the country received encouraging news on December 1, as a bipartisan group of Representatives in the House passed an amendment aimed at improving the capabilities of the nation's 9-1-1 centers.
Previously introduced as H.R. 2629, the Next Generation 9-1-1 Advancement Act, the amendment, introduced jointly by Representatives John Shimkus (R-IL) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA), reauthorizes the National 9-1-1 Office at the Department of Transportation and authorizes grants totaling $250,000,000 over five years to upgrade 9-1-1 capabilities, bringing text messaging and other advanced features to the nation's 9-1-1 centers.
Click here to read the rest of NENA's statement and additional amendment details.
NENA recently filed comments in the FCC's Facilitating the Deployment of Text-to-911 and Other Next Generation 911 Applications; Framework for Next Generation 911 Deployment Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
In the filing, NENA argues that: The Commission should facilitate the development and optional deployment of durable interim text-to-9-1-1 solutions; the Commission should support the adoption of standards-based methods for handling text messaging in Next Generation 9-1-1 systems; enabling text-to-9-1-1 service could improve the reliability and resiliency of 9-1-1 service for mobile network subscribers; the Commission should facilitate an orderly deployment of text-to-9-1-1 capabilities on a uniform, nation-wide basis; prioritizing 9-1-1 traffic in common-carrier networks is not unreasonable discrimination; and prioritizing traffic in broadband networks is consistent with the Open Internet Order.
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION NEWS
NENA recently launched a FREE e-mail news service called Public Safety SmartBrief. It provides a weekly summary of news, trends, and updates on public safety issues - not just 9-1-1, but police, fire, and EMS as well. Knowledgeable editors handpick key articles from hundreds of publications, summarize them, and provide direct links to the original sources.
In other words, we do all the research and you get the latest news in your inbox or on your handheld device, absolutely free.
HELP WANTED
NENA's new and improved career center now offers more options and search functionality to job seekers and recruiters, including the ability to browse openings by category, subscribe to receive e-mail notifications of new openings, and apply for openings directly online. Recruiters can now view and rate candidates applying for openings, search the resume database of available candidates (members-only feature), and manage postings online.
UPCOMING EVENTS
At the NENA Development Conference (formerly TDC/ODC), you have the opportunity to learn, in-depth, about the latest issues facing public safety, collaborate with your peers on documents and standards that will govern the emergency communications landscape of the 21st century, and contribute to 9-1-1's long-term ability to overcome (and proactively prevent) the challenges ahead.
From both the technical and operations perspectives, attendees of this working conference can expect to roll up their sleeves and lend their expertise to bolster NENA's current initiatives and identify the emerging topics that will define the association's path forward in 2012.
Find out more about the NDC:
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