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NENA NEWS
With the ushering in of a new Congress, 2013 offers a significant opportunity for 9-1-1 professionals to shape the nation's emergency communications policy agenda. In order to address the needs of today's 9-1-1 system while laying the regulatory and legislative groundwork for Next Generation systems, public safety professionals must both understand today's 9-1-1 policy landscape and take an active role in educating policymakers and enlisting them as allies. At 9-1-1 Goes to Washington, you will do both.

Join us in Washington, D.C., from March 17-20 for a dynamic, interactive three-day program where you will receive:
  • The inside information you need to help shape the 9-1-1 and emergency communications agenda for the Administration and the 113th Congress.
  • Critical knowledge of current, proposed and needed federal and state 9-1-1, homeland security and emergency communications legislation, regulation, and initiatives.
  • An opportunity to talk directly with Members of Congress, Administration officials, and their staff to make your voice heard on behalf of the entire 9-1-1 community.
Click here to register online. Visit the 9-1-1 GTW webpage for additional information.
 
The NENA Publications Committee is seeking submissions for publication consideration on the evolution of the 9-1-1 workplace/workforce (e.g. generational differences, change management, telecommunicator issues, etc.).

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 email attachment to NENA Communications Director Chris Nussman for consideration. The submission deadline is March 8, 2013.
 
Congratulations to the twenty two 9-1-1 professionals who passed the Winter 2013 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.
 
Curious about how to get the most out of your membership? Check out the new 2013 NENA Membership Guide! It's full of information about the myriad benefits and resources available to you as a NENA member (We've got a lot to offer!). In addition to the virtual edition, keep your eyes peeled for the print version, which should be arriving in your mailbox shortly. Contact us if you would like additional copies to distribute as part of our 2013 recruitment efforts!
 
Hear from former Navy Commander Mike Abrashoff, Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin, and generational expert Jason Dorsey at the NENA 2013 Conference & Expo! 

Click here to download our new Keynotes/Conference-at-a-Glance flyer for more information and to begin planning your conference experience!

No matter what your role is in public safety, no other conference can offer you the quality or quantity of growth and development opportunities available at NENA 2013. In addition to our renowned keynote speakers, NENA 2013 offers dozens of education sessions designed to enrich you personally as well as professionally, comprehensive full-day courses with real-world applications, unparalleled opportunities to network and dialogue with your peers, and an exhibit hall showcasing cutting-edge products and services. 

NENA 2013 is the must-attend event of the year for today's emergency communications professional. Don't miss your chance to be a part of it!

Register online (or download a printable form) and make your hotel reservations today! Bookmark www.nena.org/nena2013 for the latest conference news and updates!
 
NENA is pleased to open the nominations process for our 2013-2014 Executive Board election!

This election will be for the following positions:
  • Second Vice President
  • Northeast Regional Director 
  • North Central Regional Director
  • Canadian Regional Director
  • Private Sector Director
All nominees must be current members in good standing and current Emergency Number Professionals (ENPs). Nominees for the position of Regional Director must reside in the region they wish to represent.

Nomination / Election Documents:
  • Nomination Form - PDF
  • Executive Board Statement of Responsibilities - PDF
  • Request for Paper Ballot - PDF
The nomination deadline is March 15, 2013. Contact Bri Robinson with any questions about the nomination process, eligibility requirements, or general election details.
 
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 the nomination form. Deadline for nominations is March 29, 2013.
 
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 2013 Conference & Expo. The scholarship includes conference registration fee and four (4) 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. All applications must be returned to headquarters by COB March 15, 2013.
 
"State of 9-1-1" March Forum Features the National 911 Program Update, a King County (WA) NG911 Case Study, and Q&A Session

State and local 9-1-1 professionals, Federal agency representatives and other 9-1-1 stakeholders will gather to participate in the "State of 9-1-1" Forum webinar discussion, presented by the National 911 Program, Thursday, March 14 from 12-1 p.m. Eastern.

This webinar will feature an update on activities by the National 9-1-1 Program, a case study from King County, Washington, and an open Q&A session.

The National 9-1-1 Program will present information on the accomplishments of the E9-1-1 Grant Program, which recently completed a close-out process.  Also featured will be a report on the first national 9-1-1 data collection effort, conducted by the program in 2011.

Also presenting, and available for questions, will be Ms. Marlys Davis, King County's E9-1-1 Program Manager, who will be providing an overview and best practices for NG9-1-1 early adoption in King County, WA, and success stories for coordinating with state and federal 9-1-1 stakeholders.

Click here to register.
 
We are excited to announce the launch of a new rewards program - available exclusively to you as a member of NENA! To join, log in to nena.org and click on the Member Rewards link from your member profile menu.

Designed to provide exclusive money-saving offers to our members, the new Member Rewards program gives you immediate access to THOUSANDS of discounts from a wide variety of exciting companies like AMC Theatres, Sprint, Walt Disney World, Red Lobster, 1-800-Flowers, Macy's and many more. There is an annual fee of $19.95* to join.

Join now, browse great deals, and start saving today! PLUS, a small portion of the proceeds will go to support NENA initiatives and help keep your membership dues low. Thank you for your support... and happy savings.
 
NENA's Center Manager Certification Program (CMCP) is designed to equip recently hired, newly promoted, and aspiring PSAP and 9-1-1 Authority managers and supervisors with the tools needed to effectively manage their agency through a rigorous 40-hour course of lecture and lab-based education. For more seasoned 9-1-1 professionals, the CMCP may serve to fill in some of the gaps and strengthen core competencies required in emergency communications center management.

The CMCP, unlike many other upper-level emergency communications training programs, utilizes a real-world, hands-on approach that is focused on topics encountered daily by managerial and supervisory level personnel: Business Writing, Financial Management, Human Resources, Legal Issues, and Communications Skills. With a curriculum built by current and former 9-1-1 center managers with decades of combined supervisory and training experience, the program will provide you with knowledge and skills that can immediately and drastically improve your on-the-job effectiveness and enhance your agency's everyday operations.

Register for upcoming CMCPs:
Registration coming soon for:
  • 09.16-20 in Edmonton, AB, Canada
  • 12.09-13 in Gainesville, FL
 
As an active member, you know the value of NENA membership. Spread the word to peers and coworkers and earn great prizes and continuing education opportunities.
  
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. 
  
The more you recruit, the greater the prize!  
Every eligible member who recruits at least one (1) new member between January 1, 2013, and March 31, 2013, will receive an exclusive NENA member pen. Recruit as many new members as possible to reach new recruiter levels and earn rewards and valuable education opportunities including complimentary course, CMCP, and Annual Conference registration.

Start recruiting today! Visit the Member Recruitment page for full program details. 
 
By now, you should have received an email from NENA with a link to your 2013 NENA dues invoice. Help NENA go green and save a stamp by choosing to pay online by check or credit card. If this is not an option for you or your agency, the email also contained a link allowing you to print out a copy of your invoice for local processing. 

Instantly renew your membership online in just a few easy steps
1) Simply log in to the NENA website.
2) Go to your Manage Profile page.
3) Click on Membership under the "Account History" header to view your renewal options. 
4) Pay online by check or credit card.
5) Print out a receipt for your records.

Thank you for your continued support of NENA. We look forward to sharing many new and exciting member benefits with you in the coming year!
 
Make sure the addresses (email and postal) that we have on file for you are current! Please log in to your online member account to verify or update your information, or send an email to Bri Robinson.
 
RCC Consultants Inc
OPS UPDATE
You may have seen recent posts on social media sites urging people in the U.S. to dial 1-1-2 rather than 9-1-1 in certain emergencies. This is bad advice.

The posts claim that 1-1-2 is especially effective if you are being pulled over in your car and want to ensure that you are dealing with the police. It also claims that by dialing 1-1-2, your call will be answered faster and may go directly to the police.

Here are the facts:

FACT: 1-1-2 is the European emergency number. Several wireless providers offer mobile phones that can use either system for emergency calls, depending on the user's location.

FACT: While dialing 1-1-2 in the United States may work on certain devices and on certain wireless networks, the only way to ensure that your call for emergency assistance gets through is to dial 9-1-1. When a caller tries to use 1-1-2 in the United States, the call may not go through. Even if it does, 1-1-2 provides no special emergency call handling – in fact, it adds a delay due to it having to be converted to "9-1-1" and then routed to the appropriate 9-1-1 call center.

FACT: No one should ever call 1-1-2 just to "test" if it works; you'll tie up public safety resources and waste valuable time for people facing real emergencies.

The bottom line is that anyone calling for emergency assistance in the United States or Canada should always dial 9-1-1 for the fastest and most effective response.

For more tips on proper 9-1-1 usage, visit http://www.nena.org/tips.

Help NENA pass on the 9-1-1 FACTS, using #112hoax and @911NENA911 on Twitter; and/or share our post on Facebook at www.facebook.com/911NENA911.
 
TECH UPDATE
In NG9-1-1, all call media must be recorded, including voice, video, and text. In addition, all elements involved in call processing log event records for each step in the process. The NENA i3 Solution defines standard interfaces for recording and retrieving all of these data in order to provide historical records for operational, training and legal purposes, and for analyzing and troubleshooting NG9-1-1 processes. The ICE 8 event, being planned for the fall of 2013, will allow vendors of all NG9-1-1 call processing elements to test logging, recording, and retrieval interfaces while processing calls from origination to termination with different media types. 

An ICE 8 Planning Committee has been formed, and vendors of all NG9-1-1 equipment and systems are encouraged to join the more than 25 vendors who are already participating. ICE 8 will provide a unique opportunity for all NG9-1-1 vendors to process multimedia calls end-to-end while their events and media are being logged and recorded. This event will provide the most comprehensive NG9-1-1 test opportunity yet.

ICE 8 requires broad participation from vendors of all types of NG9-1-1 equipment. Recording and logging in the NG9-1-1 setting requires active participation from all call processing equipment. Vendors of call processing equipment need to demonstrate interoperability just as much as do vendors of recording and logging equipment, in order to maximize market opportunities. This event will go far beyond the logging and recording that were done at previous ICE events, and thus represents a major step forward for NG9-1-1 vendors.
 
Interested vendors should contact Michael Smith or Delaine Arnold as soon as possible.
 
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE
On behalf of more than 6,000 9-1-1 call centers across America and our members who lead and staff them, NENA is pleased that the FCC’s Report to Congress on Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) adopts many of NENA’s recommendations. The commission's report was required by the Next Generation 9-1-1 Improvement Act of 2012, which was enacted as part of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.

Specifically:
  • We are pleased to see an incentive-based model proposed for nearly every one of the FCC’s proposals to Congress. We believe this will drive better results faster than a more prescriptive approach.
  • We are pleased to see strong recommendations with respect to the need to provide a national regulatory backstop; ensure that location determination obligations are clearly spelled out in law; and provide critical NG9-1-1 infrastructure components at the federal level.
  • A key challenge for Congress will be to level the playing field for 9-1-1 in federal grant funding programs, so that the necessary incentives can be meaningful. At present, 9-1-1 improvements are not included in the allowable costs for most federal public safety grant programs. Congress can fix this disparity without appropriating a single new dollar, and it should.
At NENA’s upcoming 9-1-1 Goes to Washington, March 17-20, our grassroots members will be visiting Members of Congress and stressing the importance of further federal action to speed the nationwide development of a more powerful, IP-based 9-1-1 system.

Click here to read the report.
 
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION NEWS
NENA recently launched a FREE email 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. 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 email 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. 

Visit the Career Center to learn more.
 
UPCOMING EVENTS
9-1-1 Goes to Washington - March 17-20, 2013 - L'Enfant Plaza Hotel - Washington, D.C.

NENA 2013 - June 15-20, 2013 - Charlotte Convention Center - Charlotte, NC

Locating the Future - November 2-6, 2013 - St. Louis, MO
 
Save the Date: Nov. 2-6 at the Union Station Hotel in St. Louis, MO! This conference, held in conjunction with URISA, focuses on the importance of addresses and locations in 9-1-1, public safety, emergency management, and other fields. GIS professionals, addressing coordinators, planners, 9-1-1 and emergency response specialists come together for workshops, education, collaboration, and networking. Registration and additional details coming soon!
 

VPI
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800.332.3911
P: 202.466.4911
Fax: 202.618.6370
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