Meet the Host Conference Committee

Meet the Host Conference Committee

There is NO “I” in Team, But There Is an “I” in “WIN”

By Tiffany Fuller

There is no “I” In Team, however, there is an “I” in WIN and this year’s APCO 2019 Host Conference Committee wins on all levels due to its singular focus on maximizing attendees’ conference experience.

The annual conference host committee is primarily responsible for supporting the Conference & Exposition Committee (CEC) to further the mission of strengthening the community by empowering and educating public safety communications professionals across the world. This year’s host conference committee is filled with a team of six amazingly talented public safety professionals who will run the conference behind the scenes, organizing speakers, arranging volunteers and creating memorable experiences.

If you’re going to run an award-winning APCO conference, then your going to need the “cream of the crop” to ensure success.

Meet the host conference committee for APCO’s 85th Annual Conference & Expo.

Robert Bloom, CMCP, RPL, CPE 
2019 Chair

Bloom is an Industry leader with 30 years of public safety experience and is considered the captain of the host conference committee. Robert is committed to effectively leading the committee to ensure an epic experience for all attendees at the Baltimore conference and expo. Bloom currently works as the public safety systems administrator for the Department of Emergency Communications in Alexandria, Virginia, and is  a member of APCO’s Cybersecurity Committee.

Captain Scott Brillman
Local Flavor Chair

Brillman is the 9-1-1 Director for the city of Baltimore and has been working tirelessly to ensure that this year’s Baltimore conference is bodacious and unforgettable. As the local flavor chair, Brillman adds value to APCO 2019, offering options for the best conference experience while in Baltimore to include local entertainment, dining and must-see attractions. Scott is devoted to the emergency communications profession and the incredible public safety professionals that save lives every day. Brillman is also a huge dog lover and would rescue all of them if he could. Scott adores Baltimore so if you have any questions while you’re here or need advice, come say “Hi”!

Michael Fischel,
Volunteer Co-Chair

Bronze Star medal recipient Michael Fischel is a former U.S. Naval officer who has served Fairfax County, Virginia, for 19 years as the public safety communications center director and eight years as the Fairfax County Police Department’s director of the Planning and Research Division. Fischel has since retired and is now an executive public safety communications/9-1-1 consultant, experienced in public safety communications operations, IT project management, planning and policy development, and law enforcement research and analysis. As the volunteer co-chair, Fischel has been instrumental in managing the coordination of volunteers and supporting the operational needs of the conference.

Tenea Reddick,
Volunteer Co-Chair

Reddick began her career in emergency services over 17 years ago, as a 9-1-1 specialist, and is currently employed with the Baltimore City Fire Department as the 9-1-1 operations manager. Her involvement with APCO started four years ago as a speaker at the APCO 2015 conference in Washington, D.C. Reddick has since joined the host conference committee as the volunteer co-chair and has been responsible for the committee’s success in pre-planning and registering volunteers to ensure that all participants of this year’s conference receive the highest level of hospitality to make their conference experience more enjoyable.

Tanya Thompson,
Operations & Logistics Chair

Thompson is a senior customer service representative for the city of Alexandria’s 3-1-1 and is new to the public safety sector, recently earning her master’s degree in business this past spring. Tanya serves as the emergency communications public information officer and works with city departments and staff in order to dispatch city service requests and provide information to the citizens of Alexandria. As the operations and logistics chair for APCO 2019, Thompson is behind the scenes planning and navigating complex operations making sure everything runs smoothly.

Tiffany Fuller, RPL,
Communications Chair

Fuller is a native Washingtonian with 14 years of public safety experience. As the communications chair for the annual conference, Fuller realizes that communication is one of the most important components of running a successful conference. Therefore, she has collaborated with Motorola to streamline communications and to ensure a seamless radio experience throughout the conference. Fuller currently works as a fire and EMS public safety telecommunicator/CTO in Washington, D.C., for the Office of Unified Communications and has served on APCO’s Member and Chapter Services Committee and Editorial Advisory Committee.

Tiffany Fuller is a 14-year Public Safety Telecommunicator,  Office Of Unified Communications, Washington, D.C.

Putnam’s Heather Fox is Dispatcher of the Year

CARMEL – Putnam County 911 Dispatcher Heather Fox has assisted scores of people in need during her 15-year career as a dispatcher at both the county’s call-in center in Carmel and for 10 years prior in Dutchess County.

“Helping others has been my credo throughout my lifetime,” said Fox during an interview after the public servant learned she has been named as Dispatcher of the Year by the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials (APCO) and will be recognized in November at a banquet in Boston.

Read More…

Texas 9-1-1 Agency Graduates 20 Telecommunicators Following Reclassification Bill

Texas 9-1-1 Agency Graduates 20 Telecommunicators Following Reclassification Bill

Texas 9-1-1 Agency Graduates 20 Telecommunicators Following Reclassification Bill

NCT 9-1-1 hosts the only telecommunicator academy in the state. RTA Class #008 represents 12 different law-enforcement agencies and fire marshal offices in North Texas and Texarkana.

Texas is the first state to reclassify its telecommunicators and include them as first responders alongside officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians. Before HB1090, they were classified as secretaries.

“From citizens requesting emergency services to field units needing manpower or equipment or deployment resources during disasters, 9-1-1 telecommunicators are true first responders,” said NCT 9-1-1 Operations Manager Sherry Decker. “HB1090 will finally give them that recognition.”

The graduating recruits will have completed a rigorous four-week program that teaches equipment use, state mandates and regulations, how to handle emergency communications situations and more.

“I’ve been in this industry for 22 years,” said NCT 9-1-1 Training Coordinator Lysa Baker. “And these recruits have blown me away. It’s my job to not only teach them legal standards and best practices but to give them the resilience they’ll need to thrive. The recruits entering this industry make me excited about the future of 9-1-1.”

Texas is also the only state that requires telecommunicators to be licensed, which holds them to the same standards as peace officers and jailers. The 20 graduating recruits represent 12 different law enforcement agencies and fire marshal offices in North Texas and Texarkana.

NCT 9-1-1 is responsible for more than 40 public-safety answering points (PSAPs) in the 13 counties surrounding the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Would you like to comment on this story? Find our comments system below.

Innovation Changes How First Responders Communicate

Innovation Changes How First Responders Communicate

From 5G networks to specially equipped communications trucks and drones, the nation’s first responders have a growing arsenal of tech tools that keep them communicating during the worst kinds of emergencies.

BY JOHN KNOPF

One of the biggest challenges first responders face in emergency situations is receiving reliable information: Where is a fire heading? When is backup arriving? What equipment do they have? Have residents been evacuated? For first responders there’s the constant issue of terrain and topography, which can impede communications and complicate existing challenges when access to data is critical. Additionally, cell towers often become congested or damaged in emergencies, impairing communications between first responders, commanders and supporting agencies.

This article was written by John Knopf and appears on govtech.com dated July 24, 2019. To read the full article please click on the button below.

READ FULL ARTICLE

How progressive EMS agencies are using advanced cellular networks to connect

How progressive EMS agencies are using advanced cellular networks to connect

By Estee Woods

Fire and police departments have been leveraging LTE to increase their response times, improve interdepartmental communications, and provide connections to FirstNet and other national public safety broadband networks. Wireless connectivity has been opening doors to new technologies to help public safety agencies better meet their needs and keep their communities safer.

Similar opportunities exist for emergency medical service departments. EMS teams provide vital services to their communities, and we are now seeing an upswing in EMS adoption of mission-critical connected technologies.

This article was written by Estee Woods and appears in ems1.com dated July 16, 2019.

To read the full article please click on the button below.

READ FULL ARTICLE