A group of public safety organizations recently agreed to work together to enhance global emergency communications systems that serve nearly 1 billion people.
Under the agreement, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, Canada (APCO Canada), the European Emergency Number Association (EENA), the British Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (BAPCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) pledge to promote, support and improve emergency communications services utilizing the most current and commonly accepted technologies, standards and best practices.
“This collaborative effort is essential as we look to improve and innovate emergency communications nationwide,” Cindy Sparrow, president of APCO Canada, said. “We look forward to deepening our relationships and sharing information to improve our emergency response systems.”
The effort would involve promoting, among a wide range of topics, Next Generation emergency communications, services, networks, and systems such as the i3 standard for NG9-1-1 in North America and the NG1-1-2 standard in Europe.
“NENA is proud to join this alliance as we work toward a common goal of providing the public with fast, convenient, and reliable access to emergency assistance when it matters most,” NENA President Monica Million said. “We are committed to collaborating with these like-minded organizations to ensure that emergency communications are modernized and made more accessible all over the world.”