APCO Standards Development Working Groups

APCO Standards Development Working Groups

Getting involved in the APCO's standards development process is an excellent way to take your professional game to the next level and contribute to producing standards for public safety communications. It may seem intimidating but it is not. And you will meet people from across the country who share common interests and goals in public safety communications. You do not need to be an expert to participate, you just need to be willing to contribute and use your skills to accomplish a common goal.

Technology is transforming emergency communications centers (ECCs) into the nerve center of emergency response. Managing traditional communications, as well as next-generation, and multi-media technology will create new challenges for ECC operations and technologists. These changes require new APCO standards, as well as the update of existing APCO standards through the formation of Working Groups. A well rounded group of participants that include Telecommunicators, Supervisors, Managers, Technologists and Specialists are needed to successfully write or revise our standards.It is also important to have representation from all sizes of ECCs and agencies to ensure the standards are relevant to all APCO members. Commercial and industry participation is also critical to bring in outside expertise.

Standards Development Working Groups are formed as needed, based upon the identification of new standards to be developed, with the goal of providing subject matter expertise across multiple groups in the development of these standards. APCO seeks public safety practitioners, vendor and commercial technologists, and academic and Federal partner participation in these working groups to ensure a good mix of experience and expertise.It is not required to be an APCO member to participate in a Working Group.

APCO, as an ANSI Accredited Standards Development Organization, is poised to lead America’s Emergency Communications Centers and Professionals into this exciting future. We can only do it if you, our members, participate in, and become part of leading, the process of creating the standards and best practices that will define our profession for years to come.