NENA NEWS
Each day of the conference brings attendees together with experts to learn about and discuss the large-scale issues affecting emergency communications. Exploring these critical 9-1-1 and public safety topics provides attendees with the knowledge necessary to navigate today's challenges while planning for tomorrow.
Due to overwhelming demand, a number of conference hotels are sold out or have very limited availability. To address the high demand for NENA 2013 housing, we have added a block of rooms at the Omni Charlotte Hotel. Make your hotel reservations as soon as possible to ensure you get the best rate at your hotel of choice!
Looking for details on the emergency communication industry's premier annual event, taking place June 15-20 in Charlotte, NC? Look no further! The full NENA 2013 brochure is now available.
Voting for NENA's 2013-2014 Executive Board is now open and runs until Tuesday, June 4. On Tuesday, April 30, eligible members received an email with a direct link to NENA's online ballot along with voting instructions. Once a member logs in, he or she will be able to review the nominations and vote. After officially casting a vote, the voter will not be able to change his or her vote or access the ballot again. This election is for the following positions:
Second Vice President (two candidates; open to all voting-eligible NENA Members)
North Central Regional Director (two candidates; open to voting-eligible NENA Members in the region)
Recently, NENA held thirty-minute "meet the candidates" webinars. Download or view them online here:
Contact Bri Robinson with any questions about the candidates, the voting process, or general election details.
NENA and URISA are pleased to announce the newly re-engineered Locating the Future Conference (formerly known as the URISA/NENA Addressing Conference). The conference will take place at the historic Union Station in St. Louis, MO, from November 3-6, 2013.
With the new theme comes an invigorated slate of topics relating to location, addressing, public safety, emergency management, and 9-1-1. The world is changing at a rapid pace, and technologies related to location are more and more common. How do location and addressing adapt?
Call for Presentations
Consider participating as a speaker to showcase innovation, case studies, and best practices. There is a format to fit your speaking style, from a formal presentation and panel discussion to a complete interactive session or IGNITE talk.
Housing Information
The conference will take place at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. We were able to obtain an extremely attractive room rate of $119 single/double. Reservations must be made by October 2, 2013. Make your reservation now while there is availability.
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!
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:
- 12.09-13 in Gainesville, FL
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.
OPS UPDATE
Defining a TERT State Coordinator
NJTI Co Chairs met with TERT representatives from across the nation April 16 through April 19 at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth, GA. The Occupational Analysis workshop was hosted by GPSTC representatives to facilitate and offer guidance on the creation of an operations standards guide for a TERT State Coordinator. Those who attended shared a combined total of 189 years in emergency operations and 66 years in TERT participation. During the course of three days, attendees came together to define what a TERT state coordinator is, and to break down the position into several different components, while elaborating in great detail on the roles and duties for each given area. Categories from administrative tasks to deployment operations were outlined and critiqued.
With the combined knowledge of the group working together as one, the title of state coordinator was eventually outlined into five functioning categories, each indicating the specific duties and responsibilities. At the end of the three days, the foundation of the TERT state coordinator was drafted and a strong "job well done" was felt amongst the group.
Media Request Jim Tanner, TERT regional coordinator, is requesting pictures of TERT. He is working on putting together a recruitment/motivational video. Please send him any action deployment shots (of the disaster and the TERT team in action) and classroom shots of new members and leaders.
Any help would be much appreciated. Please send items to the following email jimt@williamson-tn.org.
Upcoming TERT Training Opportunities
TERT Basic Awareness
Date: May 13, 2013
Location: Washington State CJTC, Burien, WA
TERT Team Leader
Date: May 14, 2013
Location: Washington State CJTC, Burien, WA
TERT Basic Awareness
Date: May 19, 2013
Location: Hyatt Regency Hotel, Houston, TX
TERT Team Leader
Date: May 19, 2013
Location: Hyatt Regency Hotel, Houston, TX
TERT Basic Awareness
Date: June 5, 2013
Location: Lewis County, NY
TERT Team Leader
Date: June 6, 2013
Location: Lewis County, NY
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE
The National 9-1-1 Program is very pleased to announce the release of "NG9-1-1: A Guide for Leaders in Law Enforcement." This publication was designed to reach out to law enforcement leaders and provide information about the transition to NG9-1-1 and its specific benefits for the law enforcement community. Thanks to the generous support of the US DOT Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA), it will be received by every police chief and sheriff who subscribe to Police Chief and Sheriff magazines.
The 16-page publication provides high-level, relevant information about NG9-1-1 that will help bring the law enforcement community up to speed on the NG9-1-1 transition process and encourage them to participate in activities to support the implementation of NG9-1-1. An online version is available on www.911.gov. You'll find it under "Announcements" at the bottom right corner of the home page.
The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) announced today that the first in a summer-long series of consultations with states, tribes, territories, and localities will take place May 15-16 in the Washington, D.C., area. FirstNet will conduct regional workshops in six regions and will also meet with each state individually during the consultation process.
This portion of FirstNet's outreach is designed to solicit input from attendees to help in the design of a public safety-grade next-generation wireless network that meets the specific communications requirements of police, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel in their respective jurisdictions.
"Our goal is to deliver high-speed data services to millions of public safety users to help them save more lives, solve crimes faster and keep our communities safer," said Bill D'Agostino, general manager of FirstNet. "Consultations are an essential step in building working relationships between FirstNet and the thousands of people who are stakeholders in its success. These meetings will provide valuable opportunities to listen and work collaboratively to build the first public safety-grade LTE network."
As reported on May 8, the Commission will consider a Report and Order requiring CMRS providers and providers of interconnected text messaging services to provide consumers with an automatic bounce-back message if the consumer attempts to text 9-1-1 where that capability is unavailable.
"Mignon Clyburn has a distinguished record of support for emergency communications and balanced public policies that promote competition and the public interest," said NENA CEO Brian Fontes. "We look forward to working with her and all FCC commissioners and staff to advance critical public safety issues like Next Generation 9-1-1."
Ms. Clyburn will fill the interim Chairman role until the Senate confirms President Obama's choice for permanent Chairman, Thomas Wheeler.
On behalf of America's 9-1-1 professionals, NENA applauds President Obama's nomination of Thomas Wheeler to become the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
"Based on years of experience of working closely with Tom Wheeler, the 9-1-1 community knows he understands the importance of emergency communications, and we are confident he will continue the Commission's strong push to improve existing 9-1-1 systems and bring Next Generation 9-1-1 to an eager public," said NENA CEO Brian Fontes.
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.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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!
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