By Dave Buchanan, FirstNet Director of Consultation

Each summer, APCO International’s annual conference brings together thousands of public safety professionals from across the nation, all levels of government, and even from other countries to exchange information and share ideas on communications developments affecting the public safety community. 

That practice continued this year in Orlando, as conference discussions and panel sessions explored important issues facing call takers, dispatchers, and first responders both now and in the future.  Key topics were Next Generation 911 (NG-911), the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (Network), and the importance of having secure and reliable networks available for public safety professionals and the public for emergency situations.

This year’s show started on an inspirational note, with APCO Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dereck Poarch recognizing dozens of first responders from the Orlando metropolitan area in attendance for their response to the nightclub shooting in June.  A commitment to the mission carried throughout the conference, as attendees were laser focused on identifying solutions and generating new ideas for the benefit of public safety and the public they serve.

For FirstNet, the conference was an opportunity to engage with public safety representatives and government officials on a variety of topics related to the planning and deployment of the Network.  My colleague Bill Hinkle, FirstNet’s Senior 911 adviser, discussed the importance of coordination during a breakout session on how the integration of the FirstNet Network with PSAPs can enhance 9-1-1 operations.  The session generated plenty of dialogue and new ideas among attendees, which included several FirstNet State Single Points of Contacts (SPOCs) and State Planning Committee members.

I had the opportunity to engage with dozens of local responders, SPOCs, and their State team members on FirstNet’s consultation and state plan process.  The session focused on top considerations for the states over the next year and how they can begin preparing for the delivery of the plan now.  A key theme was the need for coordination among public safety leaders and state officials to ensure the Governor in each state has the best information for making a decision on the FirstNet state plan. 

To explain how the process works, FirstNet developed the following “whiteboard’ video to highlight the major steps and considerations in the state plan process: 

Finally, as has become a tradition at the conference over the last four years, APCO held a townhall-style session with members of the FirstNet executive team.  FirstNet CEO Mike Poth and President TJ Kennedy discussed the evolution of the organization and reviewed recent developments to prepare FirstNet for a public-private partnership to deploy the Network.  They also took questions from the audience on a wide range of topics, including consultation and the Request for Proposal (RFP), as well as past and future milestones along the FirstNet Strategic Roadmap.

On behalf of the FirstNet team, I would like to thank APCO for involving us in their conference and providing several opportunities to engage with their members last week in Orlando.  We look forward to joining again in Denver in 2017.

Thanks,
Dave