Re: APCO
International Response to AreaImpacted by Hurricane
Katrina
Dear Executive Council:
I had intended to send you a note
immediately following the conference but, as you are aware, our world has been rocked by the events in the
Recently, we introduced the
"Members Helping Members" web forum where APCO International members
can seek or offer assistance. This forum
has been responsible for a tremendous number of “connections” and has led to
widespread support of public safety communications. So far, APCO International has connected all
but three of the communications centers who have contacted us for assistance
with a willing agency or chapter. I
would like to express my appreciation and admiration to those Chapters and
agencies who have already participated in this program.
First Vice President Willis Carter
made a personal trip to the affected areas where he met with public safety
communications personnel and offered APCO International’s support and
encouragement. He has provided us with a
detailed report which is posted on the “Members
Helping Members” web forum.
APCO International has notified FEMA
and the state emergency management agencies (EMAs) in
the affected areas that we are eager to assist with coordination of relief
communications personnel upon receipt of a request. As you may be aware, all relief personnel
requests and offers must be coordinated through FEMA and the state EMAs and APCO International’s offer to FEMA is to provide
assistance with this effort. To date, we
have not been asked, but this disaster will continue for
months and staffing assistance may be a long-term need.
Ron Haraseth
has been working with the FCC to ensure that APCO International provides
necessary assistance to agencies in the affected areas that are working to
restore their communications systems, or build new systems. APCO-AFC will be participating in this effort
by providing frequency coordination, among other services, to the affected
areas free of charge.
APCO International staff has held
several meetings in Congress and with allied organizations to discuss how we
can bring light to some of the problems the entire public safety industry faced
during and after Hurricane Katrina. In
addition, APCO International sent a letter to all
APCO International participated in a
press conference last week with Rep. Jane Harman (D – Calif.), member of the
House Homeland Security Committee, and Rep. Curt Weldon (R – Penn.), member of
the House Armed Services Committee, to highlight the critical need to improve
first responder communications in the wake of the hurricane.
APCO International has been invited to participate in a meeting at the FCC this
week focused on Hurricane Katrina communications issues. First Vice President Willis Carter will
participate in the meeting and will be providing information on some of the
communications issues identified during and after the hurricane and reporting
on some of the steps APCO International is taking to resolve them.
We have transferred the APCO
International Sunshine Fund into one of the 501C3 subsidiaries so that all
contributions are tax deductible and we are seeking funds specifically for the PSAPs and telecommunicators in
the affected areas. As you know, the
Sunshine Fund policy allows distribution of up to $500 to APCO International
members who have experienced hardship.
The Board of Officers and Staff have discussed several methods to
streamline the nomination and distribution process to get support in member’s
hands as quickly as possible.
The Board of Officers have also discussed methods to encourage contributions and
to provide direct assistance from APCO International in this very special time
of need. The idea achieving most consensus is an offer by APCO International to “match”
contributions to the fund received by September 30, 2005 up to a total of
$20,000 in matched funds. If the total
match were made this would provide sufficient funding
for each of the APCO International members in the affected areas to receive the
highest level of support permitted by the policy.
Before we proceed with this idea,
please provide your feedback via the listserve. Obviously, if we are going to do something
along these lines, we need to move quickly.
Remember to visit the APCO
International "Members Helping Members" web forum at http://www.apcointl.com/mboard/mboard.php
if you are interested in offering other assistance.
Before I close, I would like to take
just a moment and extend a special thank you to Courtney McCarron
and the entire APCO staff for their efforts to-date. Ms. McCarron has been designated as our point-person for relief
efforts. She and the staff have worked
diligently in coordination of support for public safety communicators.
Sincerely,
Gregory S. Ballentine
President
Gregory S. Ballentine
Director of Public Safety
Mid-America Regional Council