At KOVA, we’re deeply committed to helping public safety communications professionals do their jobs as effectively and efficiently as possible.

After all, these are the people who help us when we’re going through the most difficult, frightening, and dangerous situations in our lives.

Car wrecks.

Natural disasters.

Domestic violence.

Terrorist attacks.

The list goes on. A 911 call-taker or dispatcher who not only has the best training, but also is working with the best available public safety technology, can mean the difference between life and death in certain situations.

That’s why we’re honored to be a sponsor of the Pennsylvania Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (PA-APCO) Annual Conference this year. The conference is taking place April 2-5 at the Eden Resort in Lancaster, Penn. and will feature a wide array of training sessions.

These are just a few of the topics being covered that we’re most interested in this year.

FirstNet and NG9-1-1

As we get closer and closer to nationwide Next Generation 9-1-1, many PSAP operators are working hard to meet the requirements and understand how they’ll affect their team’s daily operations.

When combined with FirstNet, the nation’s first dedicated public safety broadband network, the capabilities of NG9-1-1 will allow 911 call-takers, dispatchers, and First Responders to make use of more accurate location and incident data. This will have major positive effects on public safety - but what has to happen in order to get us there?

We’ve written about this a bit ourselves - for more info on this exciting development, read our blog post “FirstNet and Broadband: Changing Public Safety.”

Mapping

One of the NG9-1-1 standards is 98 percent accuracy for GIS mapping. This is a critical issue for PSAPs, especially those in rural areas where GPS data may be less accurate and landmarks fewer.

And since cell phone calls to PSAPs still do not automatically transmit location data - what many have called a “deadly flaw,” as it can result in response delays of seconds and even minutes - it’s even more important that PSAPs be ready to adopt technology that will allow them to find callers as quickly and accurately as possible.

PSAP call-taker and dispatcher training

Training is a vital part of any public safety communications professional’s work, especially as the technology that they use, like the Verint Media Recorder for Public Safety, gets more advanced.

Sessions covering lessons learned from real incidents, best practices for training younger call-takers, and team-building will be highly valuable for PSAP managers, as well as call-takers themselves.

For more on PSAP training, read our post “6 Vital Leadership Skills for PSAP Managers.”

We hope to see you at the Pennsylvania APCO Annual Conference!