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APCO Standards
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APCO American National Standards (ANS)
Operational ANS
Standard for Public Safety Telecommunicators when Responding to Calls of Missing, Abducted, and Sexually Exploited Children - APCO ANS 1.101.2-2010.
Estándar para los operadores de la seguridad pública cuando responden a llamadas telefónicas que tienen que ver con niños desaparecidos, sustraídos o explotados sexualmente - APCO ANS 1.101.2-2010
Note: This version (2) replaces APCO ANS 1.101.1-2007
Reports of missing and/or sexually exploited children may be among the most difficult, challenging, and emotionally charged cases your agency will ever experience. The attitude and approach taken when responding to reports of missing and/or sexually exploited children may determine whether the child is recovered promptly and safely or remains missing in an exploitive environment. Each stage of the case, therefore, from initial call through successful recovery, forms a critical component of a thorough child-protection response. Often the initial call forms the foundation and direction of the response to that missing and/or sexually exploited child.
In an effort to develop best-practice guidelines for handling calls pertaining to missing and/or sexually exploited children, a joint steering committee on Call Center Best Practices in Cases of Missing and Sexually Exploited Children was developed. Members of the committee include the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO), National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED), National AMBER Alert Initiative (U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs and Fox Valley Technical College), National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), and National Emergency Number Association (NENA). These best-practice guidelines were originally submitted through the APCO ANS process facilitated by APCO's Standards Development Committee (SDC) and received approval from ANSI as an ANS on December 19, 2007. The joint steering committee updated the ANS and version two was approved by ANSI on July 28, 2010.
Brief Description:
This standard is a reference specifically for public safety telecommunicators to present the missing, abducted and/or sexually exploited child response process in a logical progression from the first response (Initial call intake and information entry) through the ongoing incident and case support (data query, entry and management in support of field/investigative work).
PSAP-Service Capability Criteria Rating Scale - APCO/NENA ANS 1.102.2-2010
Note: This version (2) replaces APCO/NENA ANS 1.102.1-2008
The APCO/NENA PSAP-Service Capability Criteria Rating Scale joint Work Group developed the content of this ANS. The APCO Standards Development Committee facilitated the standard through the APCO ANS process. The first versionwas approved by ANSI on November 3, 2008. The second version was approved by ANSI on July 28, 2010.
Brief Description:
This standard is intended to assist Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) Managers and their governing authorities to identify their current level of service capability. An assessment tool is provided to objectively assess capabilities of the PSAP against models representing different levels of preparedness, survivability and sustainability amidst a wide range of natural and man-made events. The second version includes the addition of "Day-to-Day" operations service capability criteria items and updates to "Survivability" items based upon lessons learned in the field since the original publication.
Wireless 9-1-1 Deployment and Management Effective Practices Guide - APCO ANS 1.103.1-2008
APCO International's Project LOCATE (Locate Our Citizens At Times of Emergencies) developed the content of the Wireless 9-1-1 Deployment and Effective Practices Guide. The Standards Development Committee facilitated the guide through the APCO ANS process and the guide was approved by ANSI on July 31, 2008.
Brief Description:
These Effective Practices (EPs) are designed to increase the PSAP Managers’ understanding of the technology application and the ability to better manage wireless calls, as well as public and responder expectations. Subject Matter Experts and wireless service providers discussed the testing results, trends, anomalies, and analyzed the actual performance, resulting in the jointly developed EPs. This guide includes rationale and provides background for each EP, outlines the recommended practice and provides resources to assist the PSAP Manager.
Standard Channel Nomenclature for the Public Safety Interoperability Channels APCO/NPSTC ANS 1.104.1-2010
The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) Interoperability Committee Channel Naming Working Group developed the content of this American National Standard. The APCO Standards Development Committee facilitated it through the APCO ANS process and it was approved by ANSI on June 9, 2010. To download FAQ, click here.
Brief Description:
Standard nomenclature for FCC and NTIA-designated nationwide interoperability channels used for public safety voice communications. The public safety community uses spectrum allocated by the FCC and NTIA in multiple bands that is replete with interoperability channels. It is necessary to develop and employ a common set of channel names so that all responders to an incident know which channel to tune their radios to, as well as the band and primary use for the channel.
Standard for Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce (TERT) Deployment - APCO/NENA ANS 1.105.1-2009
The National Joint TERT Initiative (NJTI), a partnership between APCO and NENA, developed the content of this American National Standard, along with the NENA Contingency Planning Committee. The APCO Standards Development Committee facilitated it through the APCO ANS process and it was approved by ANSI on May 29, 2009. For more information about NJTI, visit: www.njti-tert.org
Brief Description:
This standard includes information to provide guidance and helpful material regarding the development, maintenance and deployment of a TERT.
Core Competencies for Public Safety Communications Manager/Director - APCO ANS 1.106.1-2009
The Core Competencies Sub-Committee of APCO International's Call Center Standards Committee developed the content of this American National Standard with assistance from Public Safety Communications Managers and Directors throughout the nation. It was approved by ANSI on August 31, 2009.
Brief Description:
This standard outlines the core competencies that define the basic functions, duties, responsibilities, knowledge, abilities and expertise attributable to individuals who manage public safety communication functions. It respects the diverse nature of public safety communications, competencies may vary dependent upon the size of the agency, service demographics and types of services provided. Areas identified include: managing self and personal skills, providing direction, facilitating change, working with people, using resources and achieving results.
Technical ANS
Alarm Monitoring Company to Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) Computer-aided Dispatch (CAD) External Alarm Interface Exchange - APCO/CSAA 2.101.1-2008
In 2005, APCO International and the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) partnered to develop an exchange that will be consistently used by CAD providers and central station alarm companies for PSAPs to increase efficiency and decrease errors. The first beta site for the initial test project was York County, Virginia, Dept. of Fire and Life Safety, Emergency Communications Division. Vector Security participated in the electronic alarm exchange. The first data template was successfully completed October 2004. An Alerts Working Team was formed in 2006 to begin the External Alert 2.0 IEPD Development. This team was formed by the IJIS Public Safety Technical Standards Committee (IPSTSC) to create external alerts and requests-for-service IEPD using the GJXDM standard.
Following a two year development effort which included extensive testing, the Alarm Interface Alarm Exchange went live in July 2006. The City of Richmond's Police Division of Emergency Communications authorized a development partnership with York County. In July 2008, the data requirements for Alarm 3.0 IEPD were finalized and in August the IEPD was completed. Mappings were changed from GJXDM to NIEM 2.0. This effort to upgrade the IEPD was sponsored by the Public Safety Data Interoperability (PSDI) Program, funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and co-managed by APCO International and IJIS Institute. The document was then submitted by the APCO Data Transfer Committee through the APCO ANS process and approved by ANSI January 15, 2009.
For the IEPD details, click here.
To download the schema, click here
Brief Description:
The purpose of this ANS, also known as Alarm 3.0, is to provide a standardized data exchange for the electronically transmitted alarm information between an alarm monitoring company and a PSAP. There are three primary uses for this Information Exchange Package Document (IEPD):
- Initial notification of an alarm event
- Bi-directional update of status between an alarm monitoring company and the PSAP
- Bi-directional update of other events between an alarm monitoring company and a PSAP
To view frequently asked questions (FAQs) about this ANS, click here.
To view a fact sheet about this ANS, click here.
For further information on implementing this standard, please email standards@apcointl.org.
Training ANS
Minimum Training Standards for Public Safety Communications Training Officer - APCO ANS 3.101.1-2007
APCO International's Call Center Standards Committee developed the content of the Minimum Training Requirements for Public Safety Communications Training Officer and submitted the standard through the APCO membership standard process where the APCO International Board of Officers, Membership, and Executive Council reviewed and commented on the content, approving the standard in February 2007. The standard was then submitted to APCO International's Standards Development Committee to be considered for APCO's first ANS. The standard was approved by ANSI on September 19, 2007 as an American National Standard.
Brief Description:
The focus of the Minimum Training Standards for the Public Safety Communications Training Officer (hereinafter "CTO") is to provide training necessary to foster levels of consistency for training officers providing on-the-job training to active 9-1-1 operators and telecommunicators, as well as to promote the leadership role of the CTO in a public safety communications center. The standard responds to the valid needs of the industry in dealing with the rapidly expanding and ever-changing service environment, providing competent training standards while defining training in certain knowledge, skills, and abilities to be provided by the agency for those telecommunicators selected as CTOs. The standard specifies the minimum training requirements, in general, of all personnel assigned to an one-on-one communications training function in an emergency communications environment while recognizing the need to supplement basic competencies with agency-specific information and existing equipment-use parameters, as revised.
It will ensure base-line literacy requirements in 9-1-1 and emergency communications while providing the important guidance in monitoring and ensuring the maintenance of complete training records in all areas of required performance and certifications through competent training.
Minimum Training Standards for Public Safety Telecommunicators - APCO ANS 3.103.1-2010
APCO International's Call Center Standards Committee developed the content of the Minimum Training Standards for Public Safety Telecommunicators and submitted the standard through the APCO ANS Process. The standard was approved by the Standards Development Committee on September 24, 2010 and final approval was received by ANSI on February 7, 2011.
Brief description:
The standard identifies minimum training requirements for public safety calltakers, fire service dispatchers, law enforcement dispatchers, and emergency medical services (EMS) dispatchers. It is one of many public safety communications training standards that has been developed as a result of APCO's Project 33 initiated in 1995. This standard is based on research compiled from multiple occupational analysis workshops conducted throughout the nation. Over 100 high-performing public safety telecommunicators representing various agencies participated in these workshops. The draft standard was submitted through three different public review and comment periods before the final draft was completed.
For information on the APCO Project 33 Training Program Certification, visit www.apcop33.org.
APCO International’s Membership Standards
Even before APCO International became an ANSI-accredited Standards Developer, the association strove to ensure that standards and effective practices were developed to address the needs of our members and the public safety communications industry at large. Led primarily in these activities by the APCO Call Center Standards Committee, in the development of these standards, APCO has produced some of the industry’s most recognized and respected standards and effective practices. These Membership Standards include:
Training Standards
Operational Standards
Technical
Information Exchange Package Documents (IEPDs) -
Developed using GJXDM 3.0.3:
IEPDs developed using the NIEM 2.0 data model are available to download from the National Information Sharing Standards Help Desk.
* developed in partnership with the Integrated Justice Information Systems (IJIS) Institute.
For more information on APCO International's standards development activities contact the Comm Center & 9-1-1 Services Department Staff at standards@apcointl.org or call (888) APCO-911, ext. 2446.
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