Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Joint statement by APCO International,NENA and NASNA on the Hatfield Report

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2002 15:27:07 -0400

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 24, 2002) - The Association of Public-Safety
Communications Officials (APCO) International, Inc., National Emergency
Number Association (NENA), and the National Association of State Nine One
One Administrators (NASNA) today applauded the thorough review Dale Hatfield
has given to technical and operational issues that impact wireless E9-1-1
deployment.

“We greatly appreciate his work. Each of our associations will be responding
at greater length during the public comment period next month.

“There is an agreement within the public safety communications community
with Mr. Hatfield that the automatic provision of location information is
critical for both wireless and wireline calls to 9-1-1. Like the author, we
are pleased that ‘there is no longer any real disagreement regarding the
technical feasibility of providing wireless E9-1-1.’  We have advocated the
necessity and feasibility of the service for the past 10 years, often over
the strenuous objections of wireline and wireless carriers.  Wishing the
period of disputation had been shorter, we nevertheless look forward to
successful completion of the implementation.

“There also is an agreement across our organizations and memberships that at
the heart of this issue is a complexity that creates enormous challenges.

“Well before the opening of the Hatfield inquiry, we had become aware of,
and had begun to seek improvements in, the wireline E9-1-1 infrastructure.
NENA's and APCO’s non-traditional communications technical committees and
NENA’s ‘Future Path Plan,’ together with analogous work by NASNA, are
focused far beyond the present or the near term.

“Later this month there will be briefings with FCC commissioners and staff
about several initiatives underway within our associations that have already
demonstrated significant improvements regarding E9-1-1 implementation.
These initiatives include NENA's Strategic Wireless Action Team (SWAT)
initiative and APCO’s Project Locate.  An important part of the SWAT
initiative is to install a cost-effective, E9-1-1-capable wireline
infrastructure in those largely rural and remote areas where it does not
exist, and to find ways to share facilities across jurisdictional boundaries
without subtracting from state and local regulatory authority.  APCO’s
Project Locate was created to establish model communities in every state
that would work with the nation’s wireless telephone carriers to accelerate
the deployment of 9-1-1 location technology.

“We agree with Mr. Hatfield's observations that ‘PSAPs are on the frontlines
in our nation's defense against the threat of terrorism, as well as in
responding to more conventional emergencies.’  Now more then ever, we need
all parties to remain dedicated to our work of saving lives and property
through modern and well-funded emergency communications systems.  APCO, NENA
and NASNA look forward to joining with others to increase our human and
financial capital in this critical service.”

About APCO International: APCO International is the oldest and largest
public safety communications organization in the world and is the only
association that handles the entire operational scope of emergency
communications. APCO’s 15,000 members represent public safety agencies in
all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as U.S. territories, and
34 other countries.

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