CHAPTER NEWS
ARCHIVES
These news items were first published on the Chapter’s
homepage.
Happy Holidays from the Executive Board
December 16, 2011
During this time of year, I want to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best
during this holiday season. To those employees that have to work over the
holidays to continue to provide outstanding services to the citizens of
Virginia, my wish is that you find some time to spend with your families
and friends over the next couple of weeks.
As you know, technology continues to advance changing the way
we do our jobs. Many 911 Centers across the Commonwealth will continue to
be proactive in implementing these new technologies to enhance customer service
while streamlining procedures and business processes. Your jobs will continue
to evolve into something that may be completely different from what your job
entailed when you were hired (i.e., answer a traditional phone, transmit on a
traditional radio).
Your commitment to your citizens, your visitors, your
co-workers, both inside the Communications Center and those responding in the
field is unmatched as you will always be the First Responder in a succession of
responders to aide our citizenry every hour of every day.
On behalf of the Virginia Chapter of APCO
International, Board of Directors, we wish to extend our most sincere wishes
for a safe and happy holiday, and again, thank you for all you do!
Julie
McKercher
Virginia Chapter President
“The Virginia Tech community has been
admirably served by its outstanding police department. Now, one who had sworn to serve and protect
us has fallen, and we can pay no greater tribute than to pledge to serve and
protect one another, as the spirit of Ut Prosim calls us to do.” - Charles W. Steger, President, Virginia Tech
The Virginia Chapter of APCO extends its condolences to Officer Crouse’s family and
friends, to our public safety colleagues at the Virginia Tech Police
Department, and to the Hokie Nation.
Message From Chapter Immediate Past President Steve Souder
Virginia Chapter
Representing Virginia's 9-1-1 / Public Safety
Communications professionals since 1959
November 30, 2011
Dear Virginia APCO Member:
Today, November 30, 2011 is
my last day as President of our Chapter.
As per the Chapter By-laws tomorrow (December 1, 2011), our new
president Julie McKercher begins her one year term as President.
I have been fortunate to be a
member of the Chapter since 1985. During
that 26 year period it was an honor for me to serve as Chapter president twice
and represent the Chapter on the APCO International
Executive Council for 12 years. Over that time it was my privilege to
know and become friends with many of you, learn much from you and share much
with you.
During my career in 9-1-1
public safety communications nothing has helped me more than being a member of APCO. That
experience has been worth more than I could ever explain. But that opportunity is also available to
each of you… if you get involved, be on a committee, chair a committee and
serve as a Chapter officer.
The 9-1-1 public safety communications
profession and industry are on the brink of the most significant changes,
opportunities and challenges to ever present us. VA APCO
is, in my opinion, the greatest chapter in the nation. The foundation of
that greatness is each of you… regardless where in Virginia you wear the
headset, work or serve… however, to maintain that greatest is also the
responsibility of each of us… individually and collectively.
Thank you again for the
opportunity to serve and wishing each of you a happy Christmas season and
healthy and satisfying New Year.
Steve Souder, President
VA APCO
Steve Souder, Director
Fairfax County, Virginia
Department of 9-1-1 / Public
Safety Communications
Tidey Receives Award for Outstanding Contribution to EMS Telecommunications
Nicola “Nicki” Tidey (Orange
County 9-1-1) was awarded the 2011
Governor’s EMS Award for Outstanding Contribution to EMS Telecommunications on
Saturday, November 12, at the 32nd Annual Virginia EMS Symposium held in
Norfolk.
Over the
past eight years Nicola has been dedicated to the telecommunications field,
originally starting as a dispatcher and later being promoted to shift
supervisor and training coordinator for Culpeper County Public Safety
Communications Center. She was responsible for the implementation of their
accredited EMD program in addition to securing a
federal grant to be used for essential training. She took the initiative to
complete a new software program that will improve emergency response times.
This year she became the emergency 911 communications manager for Orange County
and has brought her vast experience and training to this new position. She is
also a Lieutenant with the Little Fork Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department in
Culpeper Co. where she is a Firefighter and a Nationally Registered Emergency
Medical Technician-Intermediate.
Nicola’s
dedication and significant contributions to Virginia’s local, regional and
state EMS system add to her contributions to Virginia Chapter of APCO.
Pictured: Ken Crumpler
(Virginia Office of EMS) and Nicola “Nicki” Tidey
Five Virginia Telecommunicators Receive 9-1-1 Heroes Awards®
An
international public safety group has recognized and honored five Virginia
dispatchers for excellence in their handling of calls involving children. The nonprofit,
9-1-1 for Kids, provides training to reduce nonemergency 911 calls and
recognizes local dispatchers who act heroically in the course of their
work. These calls ranged from
children reporting a domestic fight to the report of another child not
breathing. The
following Virginia Public Safety Telecommunicators
were honored for their efforts through the Virginia State 9-1-1 Heroes Awards
Ceremony and Press Conference and 9-1-1 for Kids: Public Education.
Ø
Dispatch Hero Cheryl Dean
of Fairfax County
Ø
Dispatch Hero Gail Kerns
of Virginia Beach
Ø
Dispatch Hero Elizabeth
Yost of Winchester
Ø
Dispatch Hero Lee Anne
Storey of Virginia Beach
Ø
Dispatch Hero Andrea Bramley of Virginia Beach
Congratulations to all of these Heroes! Well
Done!
The Virginia
State 9-1-1 Heroes Awards luncheon and ceremony was held at the new Yard House
restaurant in Virginia Beach on November 17.
Virginia Chapter’s Terry Hall Sworn In As APCO International’s First Vice PresidentThe gavel
passed from Bill Carrow to Gregg Riddle on the
evening of Tuesday, Aug. 9, when APCO International
conference attendees gathered at the Blue & White Gala to witness the
swearing in of the new Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of APCO International — President Gregg Riddle, First
Vice President Terry Hall (York County), and Immediate Past President
Bill Carrow; the Second Vice President position
remains open for now. |
(L to R) Riddle, Hall, Carrow |
|
Terry Hall During Introductions at
the Blue and White Gala, APCO International
Conference and Exposition, Philadelphia |
President Carrow
Speaks with Carol Adams (Stafford Co.) and Tom and Mary Pat Hanson
(Charlottesville/ UVA/ Albemarle County) During the President’s Reception |
It is with great sadness that the Chapter informs you of the
death of Tracy D. Crabtree, a part-time 911 emergency dispatcher for Washington
County. According to reports on TriCities.com, Tracy fell ill early Sunday and
was rushed by ambulance to Johnston Memorial Hospital where she passed away at
about 2 p.m. Monday, October 31, 2011. A
1987 graduate of Abingdon High School, Tracy recently received her degree from Kaplin University. She also was a lifetime member of the
Washington County Life Saving Crew, worked for Securitas Security, which
patrols the Bristol Mall, and was a member of Theatre Bristol. Full Obituary
The Virginia Chapter of APCO offers
sincere condolences to Tracy's family, friends and all members of Washington
County's Emergency Communications and public safety community. The Chapter will provide our traditional VA APCO Condolence Plaque to the Washington County 9-1-1
Public Safety Communications Center in which Tracy was a part-time call
taker/dispatcher as well as a food platter for the personnel of the Washington
County 9-1-1 Public Safety Communications Center.
Officers and Board of Directors Installed for 2011-2012
The Chapter’s annual business meeting and elections for the
Virginia Chapter of APCO offices of Vice
President, Secretary, and two Chapter Directors were held at the Virginia APCO/NENA/Interoperability
Conference and Exposition on October 27 at The Hotel Roanoke and Conference
Center in Roanoke, VA.
Richard
Troshak (Chesterfield County) was elected Vice President and Cynthia Bird Shrout (Fairfax County)
was elected Secretary for a two-year term.
Kathy Richardson
(Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle County) and Emily Totten (Roanoke County) were
elected to two-year terms as Chapter Directors.
APCO International First
Vice-President Terry Hall installed the officers. The new officers and transition of current
officers are effective December 1, 2011.
Officer Transitions for 2011-2012:
* Julie
McKercher (James City County) will assume the office of President for
2011-2012.
* Rodney
Gentry (Hanover County) will assume the office of President-Elect for
2011-2012.
* Steve
Souder (Fairfax County) will serve on the Board of Directors as Immediate Past
President for the next year.
* Carol Adams
(Stafford County) currently serves as the Chapter Treasurer for a two-year term
which expires in 2012.
* Bill Agee
(Franklin County) serves as the APCO International
Executive Council Delegate for a two-year term which expires in 2012.
* Athena
Plummer (Virginia Beach) and Greg Staylor
(Chesapeake) are serving as Chapter Directors whose two year terms (2010-2012)
expire in the fall of 2012.
Thanks to each of our officers and board members for their
dedicated service on behalf of the Chapter and Association.
Notice of Chapter Meeting and Election of Officers and Board of Directors
The Chapter’s annual business meeting and elections for the
Virginia Chapter of APCO offices of Vice
President, Secretary, and two Chapter Directors will be held at the
Virginia APCO/NENA/Interoperability
Conference and Exposition being held October 25-28, at The Hotel Roanoke and
Conference Center in Roanoke, VA. The meeting and elections are scheduled for
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 1530 hours in Crystal Ballroom A/B/C.
__________________________
Officer Transitions for 2011-2012:
* President
Steve Souder (Fairfax County) will end his term as President and will continue
to serve on the Board of Directors as Immediate Past President for the next
year.
* Karen
Johnson (New Kent County) departs the Board as Immediate Past President.
*
President-Elect Julie McKercher (James City County) will assume the office of
President for 2011-2012.
*
Vice-President Rodney Gentry (Hanover County) will
assume the office of President-Elect for 2011-2012.
* Emily
Totten (Roanoke County) who currently serves as Chapter Secretary will be
ending her two-year term.
* Carol Adams
(Stafford County) currently serves as the Chapter Treasurer for a two-year term
which expires in 2012.
* The
two-year term of the APCO International Executive
Council Delegate expires in 2012. The position is currently held by Bill
Agee (Franklin County).
* Kathy
Richardson (Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle County) and
Pat Shumate (Roanoke County) complete their two-year terms as Chapter
Directors.
* Athena
Plummer (Virginia Beach) and Greg Staylor
(Chesapeake) are serving as Chapter Directors whose two year terms (2010-2012)
do not expire until fall of 2012.
Thanks to each of our officers and board members for their
dedicated service on behalf of the Chapter and Association.
Chapter President’s Message Regarding 10th Anniversary of 9-11
September 6, 2011
All
Virginia Chapter APCO members:
In a
few days the 10th anniversary of 9-11 will be recognized throughout the
nation and around the world. Those that lost their lives that day and
subsequently will be remembered. The public safety personnel who
responded in New York City, Arlington County, Virginia and Shanksville/Somerset
County, Pennsylvania will also be praised…all rightfully so.
There
is however a small group of public safety personnel who, because they are
seldom seen, will unfortunately not be recognized publicly, if at all, even
though they played an incredibly significant role on 9-11…beginning before the first units were
dispatched until the last unit was back in service. They are the 9-1-1 call
takers, dispatchers and supervisors in New York City, Arlington County and
Somerset County who fielded the thousands of 9-1-1 calls received from those in
the Twin Towers, Pentagon and aboard United Airlines Flight 93; which were both
highly emotional and heart wrenching. This was followed by the thousands of
radio transmissions with those they dispatched…transmissions which were often
the last transmission a person made.
Also, forgotten by most is that
before September 11th was known as 9-11, it was already called 9‑1‑1
Day; a day set aside to recognize the contribution to the public’s safety by
9-1-1 and all the personnel that staff it. It is ironic that 9-11 should be the day that established
9-1-1 dispatch personnel as the First of the First Responders…everyday, 260,000 times a day…95
million times a year.
So as we remember and honor those
that lost their lives on 9-11 and those that responded on 9‑11, please also remember the unsung
heroes of 9-11, who, not only on that fateful day,
but everyday - 24/7/365 - respond first from “under the headset”…you.
Thank you, God bless and Never Forget.
Steve
Steve
Souder, President
Virginia
Chapter APCO
2011 Call for Nominations
Election for the Virginia Chapter of APCO
offices of Vice President, Secretary, and two Chapter Directors will be
held at the Virginia APCO/NENA/Interoperability
Conference and Exposition being held October 25-28, in Roanoke, VA. The
elections will take place during the VA APCO Chapter
meeting Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 1530-1730 hours. The Nominating Committee
invites members interested in holding office or in nominating a member for
office to contact the committee. Only members with full voting privileges
are eligible for office. Virginia APCO is the third
largest and one of the most active chapters in APCO
International and it is important to have effective leadership in order to
continue our efforts to support and improve public safety communications.
Your expressions of interest or nominations of others should
be received by Monday, September 26, in order that the committee may
review and report their recommendations 30 days prior to the business
meeting. A short career biography, resume, or career brief for each
candidate should be forwarded with your nomination or expression of interest.
The Nominating Committee may submit multiple candidates for each office.
Please send nominations, statement of candidacy,
correspondence, and attachments to:
For validation, all submissions will be acknowledged by the
committee chair. (If you don’t receive a validation within three days,
please resubmit and/or contact a committee member.)
Please feel free to contact members of the committee if you
have questions or wish to discuss the available positions, duties, and
responsibilities.
Committee members are:
Tom
Hanson (Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle
County), Chair (434) 971-1765
Scott
Chandler (Eastern Shore), (757) 787-5888
Pam Hess (Clarke
County) (540) 955-5106
Nicki Tidey (Orange
County) (540) 672-1234
Thanks for your consideration.
__________________________
Current Officers and Transitions for 2011-2012:
* President
Steve Souder (Fairfax County) will end his term as President and will continue
to serve on the Board of Directors as Immediate Past President for the next
year. Karen Johnson (New Kent County) departs the Board as Immediate Past
President.
* President-Elect
Julie McKercher (James City County) will assume the office of President for
2011-2012.
*
Vice-President Rodney Gentry (Hanover County) will
assume the office of President-Elect for 2011-2012. Nominations are now
being accepted to fill the vacancy of Vice-President for 2011-2012.
* Emily
Totten (Roanoke County) who currently serves as Chapter Secretary will be
ending her two-year term. Nominations are now being accepted to fill a
two-year term (2011-2013)
* Carol Adams
(Stafford County) currently serves as the Chapter Treasurer for a two-year term
which expires in 2012. Nominations are not being accepted.
* The
two-year term of the APCO International Executive
Council Delegate expires in 2012. The position is currently held by Bill
Agee (Franklin County). Nominations are not being accepted.
* Two of four
Chapter Directors will be elected this year. Kathy Richardson
(Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle County) and Pat
Shumate (Roanoke County) complete their two-year terms this fall. Nominations
are now being accepted to fill two-year terms (2011-2013); two candidates will
be elected.
* Lastly,
Athena Plummer (Virginia Beach) and Greg Staylor
(Chesapeake) are serving as Chapter Directors whose two year terms (2010-2012)
do not expire until fall of 2012. Nominations are not being accepted.
Thanks to each of our officers and board members for their
dedicated service on behalf of the Chapter and Association.
President Names Nominating Committee, Encourages Service
August 22, 2011
All Virginia APCO
Chapter members:
I have recently appointed Tom
Hanson, Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle County
9-1-1 (and former VA APCO Chapter President), Scott
Chandler, Eastern Shore 9-1-1, Pam Hess, Clarke County 9-1-1 and
Nicola Tidey, Orange County 9-1-1, to serve on the 2011 Chapter Officer
Nominations Committee, as per the Chapter’s Bylaws. During following weeks Tom,
Scott, Pam and Nicki will be actively encouraging and recruiting chapter
member’s for nomination to fill the following positions on the VA APCO Chapter Board of Directors (BOD):
·
Vice President (currently held by Rodney Gentry, who will
automatically advance to President-Elect)
·
Secretary (currently held by
·
Director-At-Large (currently held by Kathy Richardson, whose two year
term expires on 12-1-11)
·
Director-At-Large (currently held by Pat Shumate, whose two year term
expires on 12-1-11)
Depending on who is nominated for the 4 positions
above may create other vacancies and other nomination opportunities that the
Nominations Committee with consider.
The new Board of Officers will be elected and
sworn in during the Chapter’s fall conference in
Our Chapter is fortunate to be the 3rd
largest in APCO…..with 650 members, and is one of its
most active and respected nationwide. Please allow me this opportunity to
urge each of you, across the Commonwealth, regardless of the size agency you
work for, to consider the leadership and career growth opportunities the
upcoming election offers….. in the rich tradition of
Virginia; the State that has provided 8 Presidents to our Nation.
If you are interested in serving your
chapter, and I hope each of you are, please refer to this website for more
detailed information regarding the nomination process. (To be
posted soon)
As an aside, you may have noticed the “new” APCO International logo on our website. The new logo has
been under development for the past year and was introduced to the entire APCO membership at the recent APCO
International Conference and Exposition held in Philadelphia August 7th
through 11th.
Thanks.
Steve Souder
President, VA APCO
Submit Inquiries, Statement of
Candidacy, or Nominations To: nominations@virginia-apco.org
Assistance Requested for Dispatcher Who Suffered Fire Losses
A
member of New Kent Sheriff’s Office family, Joyce Crawford, E-911 Dispatcher,
experienced the tragic total loss of her rental home, all of its contents, and
a vehicle early Monday morning, June 20. Thankfully, no one was injured;
the family was able to get out with only the clothes on their back. We all know
how devastating it would be for us to have to start over. Efforts have been
completed to provide immediate necessities such as toiletries and change of
clothing. While the Red Cross was contacted for support, it’s already
apparent that New Kent County employees and members of the 9-1-1 community want
to assist the family in meeting its needs as well.
Because
measures to secure living arrangements have not yet been finalized at this
time, those wishing to contribute are asked to do so via donations of either
gift cards that can be used towards the purchase of food, clothing, etc., or
monetary contributions to enable the family to purchase items as needed.
Contributions may be sent to the New Kent Sheriff's Office, P.O. Box 186, New
Kent, VA 23124, attention Joyce Crawford and checks/money orders made payable
to Joyce Crawford. If you have further questions, please feel free to
contact Communications at 804-966-9500.
Any
cooperative efforts are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Authority: Karen Johnson, E911 Coordinator/Communications
Assistant, New Kent Sheriff's Office
Steve Souder, President,
Virginia Chapter APCO
Edwards Named Chair of State Board of Health
Virginia Beach EMS Chief Bruce Edwards, a member and Past
President of the Virginia Chapter of APCO, was elected as Chair of the State
Board of Health at their most recent meeting held Thursday, June 9, 2011.
SB1236 passed by the 2009 Virginia General Assembly added the following language
to the membership of the State Board of Health: “one member shall be a
representative of the emergency medical services community recommended by the
State Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board.” In only two short
years EMS has not only been approved for a dedicated membership seat
representative of EMS, but the EMS representative, also a member of the State
EMS Advisory Board has earned the respect and creditability of each of the
other 14 members (15 total) to be elected Chair of the State Board of
Health. Please join us in congratulating Bruce on this historic
event. Bruce’s commitment to improving
and supporting public safety communications will remain a part of his overall
service and dedication to EMS and public health.
Congratulations to the Virginia Chapter’s
2010 Telecommunicator Awards Recipients
The Virginia Chapter of APCO is
pleased to announce and congratulate those selected to receive the 2010
Virginia Telecommunicator Awards. These individuals and teams were recognized
and received awards on Thursday, May 19, 2011, in Virginia Beach during the
2011 APCO-NENA Spring Conference.
Congratulations to all the selected recipients as well as to all those
nominated as part of this year’s awards program. Your service to the Commonwealth and your
communities is greatly appreciated. To
view this year’s award recipients, visit the 2010 Award Recipients webpage.
Message from Chapter President Steve Souder
Sent
For 2011 Telecommunications Week
All members
of Virginia APCO and all 9-1-1 public safety communications call takers,
dispatchers, supervisors, trainers, directors and technologists in Virginia:
The week of April 10-16, 2011 is National Public Safety Telecommunications
Week (NPSTW)... in short “our week/your week”. Personally and on behalf of the VA APCO
Board of Officers... Congratulations and THANK YOU!
2011 is the 20th
anniversary of NPSTW and coincides with the 10th anniversary of the
tragedy experienced on 9-11… a day never to be forgotten and the day
which truly established 9-1-1 personnel as the “First of the First
Responders”.
In the Commonwealth; from the
Atlantic Ocean to the Tennessee and West Virginia borders.….from the North
Carolina border to the Potomac River; you are the first called when
there’s an emergency, the first to render guidance and advice to those
in need, the first to assist a caller in providing instruction in CPR,
child birth, choking, etc., the first to alert/dispatch a sheriffs deputy, police officer, trooper, firefighter, EMT,
etc. and the first to answer the next call before units arrive at the
previous call… 24/7/365. None of it could happen without you FIRST!
So this week is dedicated to you:
your professionalism, dedication, knowledge, skill, empathy, patience and for
just being there… at 3 in the morning when most citizens you serve are asleep
and at 3 in the afternoon on Thanksgiving Day when most citizens are with
family giving thanks… and all the days in-between when you miss out doing what
others take for granted.
So I hope you celebrate and enjoy
the week… it is only 1 of 52… but the one dedicated to what you do every day of
every week.
Please share this with anyone in
your agency, other agencies, jurisdiction, etc. that may not be aware but need
to know…..this is National Public Safety
Telecommunications Week and you are the First of the First Responders.
Thank you and God bless.
Steve
Souder
President, VA APCO
Chapter Creating Patchboard
The Executive Board has announced
that the Virginia Chapter of APCO will pursue the establishment of a patchboard representing the PSAP’s
and public safety agencies served by them.
Members and representatives of PSAP’s or other affiliated or served
public safety agencies are encouraged to contribute their agency patch to the
collection. Collection began at the 2011
Winter Conference. Input and ideas are
welcome. Questions may be directed to Chapter President
Steve Souder.
2011
APCO/NENA Winter Conference Held in Chesterfield
Members
of the Virginia Chapters of APCO and NENA, and other public safety
communications representatives, joined together at the 2011 Virginia APCO/NENA Winter Conference held at the Eanes-Pittman Public Safety Training Center in Chesterfield
on Wednesday, January 19, to learn about emerging topics and to network about
the field of public safety communications.
Presentations included:
·
APCO
Professional Human Resources Taskforce (Pro-CHRT) Update
·
Interactive Panel Discussion on “Spoofing” and
“Swatting” Calls Received by a 9-1-1 PSAP
·
Congressional
E9-1-1 Caucus & E9-1-1 Institute Report
·
9-1-1
Roundtable, a discussion regarding the State of 9-1-1 in the Commonwealth
& Next Generation 9-1-1
·
Updates
on Chapter Business and Upcoming Conferences
Introducing the Executive Board for 2011
Chapter
officers, delegates, and directors take office for the 2010-2011 year on
December 1. As a number of incumbent
members of the board take on new roles, and the Chapter ushers in a few new
faces, we take this opportunity to introduce your Chapter’s Executive Board and
extend a special thanks for their commitment and dedication representing APCO
International’s third largest chapter.
·
President Steve
Souder (Fairfax County)
·
President-elect
Julie McKercher (James City County)
·
Vice President
Rodney Gentry (Hanover County)
·
Secretary Emily
Totten (Roanoke County)
·
Treasurer Carol
Adams (Stafford County)
·
Delegate to APCO
International Executive Council Bill Agee (Franklin County)
·
Director-at-Large
Kathy Richardson (Charlottesville/UVA/Albemarle County)
·
Director-at-Large
Pat Shumate (Roanoke County)
·
Director-at-Large
Athena Plummer (City of Virginia Beach)
·
Director-at-Large
Greg Staylor (City of Chesapeake)
·
Immediate Past
President Karen Johnson (New Kent County)
Continuing to serve as the
Commercial Chapter Advisory Member is Joe Gately (Gately Communications). More information on your officers is
available on the Officers
page.
New Kent County Sheriff’s Office Dispatcher Awarded Outstanding Achievement
New Kent
County Sheriff’s Office Dispatcher Jerry
Sprouse was presented with PlantCML’s Outstanding Achievement Award on
November 3, 2010, at the Virginia Public Safety Communications and
Interoperability Conference held in Roanoke. The Award was presented by Carlos
Avila, vice president of sales, PlantCML®, an EADS North America company;
Sheriff F.W. Howard, Jr., New Kent County; Karen Johnson, 2009-10 Virginia APCO
president and E9-1-1 wireless coordinator/ communications assistant, New Kent
County Sheriff’s Office; and Terry Hall, 2009-10 Virginia APCO second vice
president and communications manager for York County Emergency Communications.
Sprouse has
worked with the New Kent County (Va.) Sheriff’s Office for more than 30 years
and has progressively achieved many accolades in his career, all while being
blind. Sprouse lost his eyesight completely in his mid-teens. In 1979, Sprouse was given the opportunity to
become a switchboard operator by then interim Sheriff Art Bowman. Very shortly
after he was hired, Sheriff F.W. Howard Jr. took over the office, and Sprouse
has worked for him ever since. Howard says, “[Sprouse] impressed me immediately
with his ability to overcome every obstacle that he faced.”
Read more about Sprouse at the
console and how he works now…
Melinda Bramley Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
The Virginia Chapter of APCO
established the Melinda L. Bramley
Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 to honor and recognize selected
individuals who have demonstrated the highest levels of commitment and dedication
to the field of public safety communications throughout a significant period of
their lives. The award is named in honor
of longtime APCO member Melinda Bramley, a 40-year employee of the City of
Virginia Beach, who began her career with the Virginia Beach 911 Emergency Communications
Division in 1969 and will retire at the end of 2010.
In
recognition of her outstanding lifetime devotion to public safety
communications and her overwhelming commitment to the Association of
Public-Safety Communications Officials – International, Inc., the Chapter also
named Melinda Bramley as the first
recipient of the Melinda L. Bramley Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was
announced and presented during the MANAPCO event on November 3 during the 2010
Virginia APCO-NENA-SIEC Conference and Exposition by APCO Chapter
President-Elect Steve Souder and President Karen Johnson.
To read more about the
honoree and recipient and for additional photos, click here.
|
A Sincere Thank You To KAREN
JOHNSON New
Kent County Sheriff’s Office APCO
CHAPTER PRESIDENT For
Outstanding Leadership and Commitment to the Virginia Chapter of
the Association
of Public-Safety Communications Officials – International, Inc. 2009-2010 |
Karen Johnson receives award from
President-Elect Steve Souder, who took over the reins from
Johnson on December 1. |
Member & Chapter Services Monthly E-Newsletter Published
The APCO Member & Chapter
Services Monthly E-Newsletter for November 2010 has been released. David Diamond of the Atlantic Chapter serves
as our Representative on APCO International’s Member & Chapter Services
Committee. To read, click here.
Call for Presentations Issued for 2011 Spring Conference
The
Conference Committee for the 2011 Virginia NENA/APCO Annual Spring Conference
has issued a call for presentations for the conference being held May 18 – 20,
2011, at the Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
Interested presenters are encouraged to complete the Call for Presentations Form and return it to Richard
Troshak. For additional information,
please contact Richard Troshak at (804) 706-2595 or one of the Virginia NENA
Executive Board members. Please submit
your Call for Presentations form as soon as possible, but not later than
January 31, 2011.
McIntosh Appointed As Commonwealth Interoperability Coordinator
Christopher I. McIntosh has been appointed as
Virginia’s Inoperability Coordinator by Governor Bob McDonnell. McIntosh
formerly served as a subject matter expert for the Virtual USA program where he
applied operational and technological best practices to information sharing
initiatives at all levels of government. Prior to that, he served as the
Operations Section Chief at the
McIntosh served over ten
years in the United States Navy, separating in 2005. He began his career
as a Hospital Corpsman specializing in environmental health, industrial
hygiene, and communicable disease control. After numerous assignments
supporting hospital, surface ship, and fleet marine force units, he was
selected for the Enlisted Commissioning Program in 1999. After
commissioning, he served in both the Operations and Combat Systems Departments
onboard several surface ships, and conducted numerous deployments in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Noble Eagle.
McIntosh is a graduate of the
2010 APCO/NENA/SIEC Conference and Expo A Huge Success
Over 500 attendees gathered
at the 2010 Virginia APCO/NENA/SIEC Conference and Exposition on November 2-5,
in Roanoke, to learn about the latest in public safety communications and
interoperability issues and services. On
behalf of the Conference Committee and sponsoring organizations, thanks for
attending! If you were unable to attend,
please take advantage of information shared by your colleagues and consider
attending the 2011 APCO-NENA Winter Session in Chesterfield, the 2011 Spring
Conference in Virginia Beach, and next year’s Fall APCO/NENA/SIEC Conference
and Exposition in Roanoke.
On behalf of the attendees,
thanks to the Conference Committee and all who contributed to making the
conference a success. A special thanks
to our exhibiting vendors and sponsors!
Chapter Business Meeting Held; Officers and Directors Elected
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Butch Johnstone Photos
The APCO Chapter business
meeting was held on November 3, 2010 at the Virginia APCO/NENA/SIEC Conference
and Exposition in Roanoke. The following
new officers and directors were elected:
Vice
President
Rodney
Gentry (Hanover County)
Treasurer
(2010-2012)
Carol
Adams (Stafford County)
Delegate
to APCO International Executive Council (2010-2012)
Bill
Agee (Franklin County) - elected to new term
Director-at-Large
(2010-2012) – 2 positions elected
Greg
Staylor (City of Chesapeake)
Athena
M. Plummer (City of Virginia Beach)
·
President Karen Johnson (New
Kent County) ends her term as President and will continue to serve on the Board
of Directors as Immediate Past President for the next year.
·
President-Elect Steve Souder
(Fairfax County) will assume the office of President for 2010-2011.
·
Vice-President Julie McKercher
(James City County) will assume the office of President-Elect for 2010-2011.
·
Emily Totten (Roanoke County)
currently serves as Secretary. Kathy Richardson
(Charlottesville/UVA/Albemarle County) and Pat Shumate (Roanoke County) are
serving as Chapter Directors-At-Large.
They will be serving the second year of their two year terms (2009-2011).
The new officers begin their
terms of office on December 1.
Thanks to each of our
officers and board members for their dedicated service. We acknowledge and extend a special thank you
to current Treasurer Melinda Bramley and current Directors-at-Large Phil Heins
and Steve Basnett who opted not to seek reelection. Their contributions to the Chapter have been
enormous, and are greatly appreciated.
2010 Fall Conference Attendees Donate to CHIP of Roanoke Valley
Attendees
of the Virginia APCO/NENA/SIEC Conference and Exposition in Roanoke,
representing the Virginia Chapters of APCO and NENA and the State
Interoperability Executive Committee ISIEC), donated the proceeds of various
charitable fundraising activities at the Conference to CHIP of Roanoke
Valley. Bill Bullock, chair of the SIEC,
along with Conference Chairs Bill Agee (APCO) and Bernard “Buster” Brown
(NENA), presented a check to CEO Robin Haldiman at the closing of the 2010
Conference.
CHIP stands for Child Health Investment
Partnership. CHIP of Roanoke Valley is
an early childhood home visiting program that pairs low-income children, ages
birth to kindergarten-entry, with a Community Health Nurse and Family Case
Manager for health care coordination (help accessing needed medical services,
assistance with the management of chronic conditions, and preventive services
like fluoride dental varnish); developmental education, kindergarten
preparation and regular child assessment and monitoring.
Bullock, Haldiman, Agee,
and Brown – CHIP Presentation
Rodney Gentry Photo
Their
families receive services like anticipatory child development guidance,
employment and education support, parent meetings and transportation. These
services work to help build parenting capacity and to provide support to
families as they set and reach goals and move toward self-sufficiency. CHIP also offers supplemental case management
services that target specific needs: Prenatal Case Management, Mental Health
Case Management, and Asthma Case Management.
Heins Awarded Chapter Life Membership
Phil Heins,
Director of the Hanover County Emergency Communications Department, was awarded
Chapter Life Membership, at the APCO Chapter business meeting held on November
3, 2010 at the Virginia APCO/NENA/SIEC Conference and Exposition in Roanoke.
A
life-long resident of Hanover County, he began his career is public safety in
1969 as a volunteer firefighter. He was hired by the Sheriff's Office in 1976
as a Communications Officer and was promoted to a Shift Supervisor in 1978.
After serving in that capacity for several years, he was promoted to Director
of Communications in 1983 and has served in that capacity ever since. Heins was the County's Project Manager for
the purchase and installation of the Trunked Radio System and Enhanced 911
System. He also wrote the specifications for the CAD system that is currently
in use, and has been very active in the purchase of other various radio and
automation equipment. Heins served on
the original committee that developed the Dispatcher Certification Program for
the
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Left: Chapter President Karen Johnson and APCO
International Second Vice President Terry Hall present Chapter Life
Membership to Phil Heins. Right: Joined by his family and along with
Johnson and Hall, Phil Heins displays his plaque. Butch Johnstone Photos
PSConnect Offers Professional Networking
As a member of APCO, you have
peers and experts on hand to answer questions and exchange ideas.
Whether you want to put forth a specific question, or just bounce
an idea around, you'll find a place to do so. APCO International has created a professional networking site: www.psconnect.org.
This
new site replaced the APCO FORUM and Exchange effective October 31, 2010.
Join your colleagues on APCO’s new site today - www.psconnect.org - log in
and get started. If you have any questions contact apco@apcointl.org. You can take advantage of the Virginia
Chapter forum via this site. Click below
for instructions on connecting.
Getting
Started with PSConnect
Stafford’s Stepaniak Receives 2010 APCO
International Trainer Award
Once a year, APCO International honors individuals who have
served their communities with exceptional dedication, ability and performance.
These individuals are frontline telecommunicators, supervisors, managers, IT
and radio specialists, comm center directors and instructors. “The work they have done in their respective agencies are great
examples of activities deserving of this great honor,” says APCO Executive
Director George S. Rice Jr., “and their entire departments should be proud.”
APCO’s 2010 Public-Safety Communications
Award winners included Virginia Chapter member Nicholas
Stepaniak of the Stafford County Sheriff's Office Emergency Communications
Division. The award was presented at the
APCO International Conference in Houston on Monday, August 2.
Nicholas Stepaniak is the training officer for the Stafford County (Va.)
Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Division and APCO’s 2010 Trainer of
the Year. “Stepaniak’s commitment to
educating individuals who have chosen a career in the emergency communications
profession is unrelenting,” says Karen L. Hileman, assistant
commander/operations manager for the division. “He eagerly and earnestly shares
with others all of the knowledge he has acquired and cultivated throughout his
professional career and takes joy in seeing others succeed.”
In 2005, Stepaniak joined the
agency as a telecommunicator and was promoted to his current position in 2007.
He manages the division’s in-house training academy and its continuing
education program, oversees the communications training officer program,
coordinates the division’s certification and recertification programs, maintains
the training records system and works on the public education programs. In
addition, he serves as the EMD QA/QI committee chair, serves as lead instructor
for the In-House Training Academy and teaches for the Regional Training
Academy.
Stepaniak created and
developed lesson plans and presentations for the training program’s 24 modules,
incorporating aspects that would reach all learning styles. Through his drive
and determination, he successfully created the training program in
three-and-a-half months. As a teacher, he is known for his commitment to
student success. When battling cancer throughout the last year, Stepaniak would
regain his strength and teach and support “his” students. In December 2009,
Stepaniak and his wife were involved in a motor vehicle crash. Hileman says
that, despite his injuries, at the hospital, Stepaniak wanted to make sure that
the agency’s CPR instructor got the materials she needed from him. He returned
to teach two days after the crash.
“Stepaniak is a role model
for our communications officer trainees as to what they aspire to be as a
communications professional,” says Hileman. “These are not examples of someone
going above and beyond basic job requirements. This is our reality and
experience with Stepaniak, our inspiration to be better at what we do and be
better human beings doing it. He did not teach us this; we learned it by just
having the privilege of working side by side with him.”
The Virginia Chapter of APCO
extends congratulations to Nick for his outstanding work.
Wade Remembered During Ceremony At Roanoke
9-1-1
The
Virginia Chapter of APCO remembered Chapter Life Member Ron Wade (1948-2010)
recently during a plaque presentation ceremony held at the City of Roanoke E911
Center. APCO Executive Council Delegate
Bill Agee spoke at the opening of the presentation and Terry Hall, Second VP
for APCO International, presented a plaque honoring and remembering Wade to
Michael Crockett, Director of the Roanoke City E911 Center. Members of the Virginia APCO Executive Board
present for the ceremony were Julie McKercher, Vice President; Bill Agee,
Executive Council Delegate; Emily Totten, Secretary; and Pat Shumate, Member at
Large. Representing APCO International
was Terry Hall, Second VP. Pictured are
McKercher, Agee, and Crockett.
For more photos, visit In Memoriam.
Chapter Incorporated; Bylaws Amendments
Approved
The
Chapter is now officially incorporated. During the process of getting the new
documents signed by the members of the current board, the chapter received a
letter from the attorney. In that letter, he notified the board of certain
changes/additions that should be made to our current Bylaws as either
housekeeping issues or matters of Virginia law. These changes also make things
stronger for the Chapter and better protect the Board of Directors. The
recommendations were addressed in six specific areas of concern, and are
reflected in a tracked changes version of the Bylaws below. These suggested
changes (resolutions) were approved at the Virginia APCO Business meeting held
on Friday, May 21 in Virginia Beach.
Approved Bylaws Amendments (MS Word Tracked
Changes View)
Spring Conference a
Success; Award Recipients Announced
The 2010 Virginia NENA-APCO
Spring Conference, held at the Sheraton Oceanfront, Virginia Beach, VA., May
19-21, 2010, was highly attended. 2009
Telecommunicator Awards were presented at a luncheon on Thursday, May 20, by
APCO International President Elect Bill Carrow, APCO International Second Vice
President Terry Hall, and Chapter President Karen Johnson.
The recipients of the 2009
Virginia APCO Telecommunicator awards are:
Telecommunicator of the Year - Charlotte “Lisa” Gibbons (Eastern Shore of Virginia
911 Commission)
Outstanding Individual Performance in a Critical
Incident - Melony Markel (Hampton
Public Safety Emergency Communications Division)
Outstanding Team Performance in a Critical Incident - Melissa Morris and Garrett Bowman (Greene County
Sheriff’s Office)
Communications Trainer of the Year - Nicholas Stepaniak (Stafford County Sheriff’s
Office)
Line Supervisor of the Year - Donald Winsock (Arlington County Emergency
Communications Center)
Communications Center Leader of the Year - Philip Heins (Hanover County Emergency
Communications Center)
Congratulations to all the
award winners and to all those who were nominated for these prestigious
awards. Thanks for all your
contributions. For photos of the award
winners, visit 2009 Award Recipients.
Minutes of the Chapter meeting held on May 21 are available on the Minutes and Reports page.
Roanoke County Communications
Accredited by CALEA
Please join the Virginia Chapter of APCO in congratulating the Roanoke County (VA) Communications Center
which joins a very elite group of 63 public safety communications centers (from
a total of more then 6,100) in the United States that have successfully met the
218 CALEA accreditation standards specific to public safety communication
centers. They are the 6th public safety
communications center in
Articles of Incorporation and Revised Bylaws Adopted
The RESOLUTIONS AND BY-LAWS COMMITTEE submitted resolutions
for consideration at the Chapter’s annual business meeting on October 30, 2009,
in
Erin Elrod Named Outstanding Telecommunications Dispatcher
Erin D.
Elrod was awarded the 2009 Governor’s Emergency
Medical Services Award for Outstanding Telecommunications Dispatcher award at
the 2009 Virginia EMS Symposium held in
She also set up an extensive and cohesive training program
for telecommunications specialists.
2009 APCO/NENA/Interoperability Conference Huge Success
The
2009 Virginia APCO/NENA/Interoperability
Conference and Exposition drew over 540 attendees to the Hotel Roanoke
October 27-30 as the Virginia Chapters of APCO and NENA and the State
Interoperability Executive Committee joined together to package an outstanding
package of educational seminars, workshops, equipment displays, and vendor
expositions focusing on public safety communications and interoperability. Themed “One Commonwealth – One Voice”, the
conference brought together individuals from multiple disciplines and numerous
agencies; federal, state, and local governments; and over 60 vendors for
networking and education geared to build on the Commonwealth’s leadership in
9-1-1, interoperability, and public safety communications.
The
Virginia Chapter of APCO celebrated its 50th anniversary during the
Conference. APCO International President
Richard Mirgon and Second Vice President Terry Hall attended the
Conference.
The
Conference was dedicated to the memory of George Kain Thomas (1964-2009)
recognizing his honor and spirit to the field of 9-1-1 and public safety
communications.
Chapter Officers Elected and Installed
for 2009-2010
The Election
of Officers of the Virginia Chapter of APCO was held at the annual meeting in
Karen
Johnson (
Carol Adams (
Emily
Totten (
Kathy
Richardson
(Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle) and Pat
Shumate (
Bill Agee (
Officers were installed by APCO International President Richard Mirgon.
Updated Records Retention and Disposition Schedule
There have been recent
changes to the Library
of Virginia Records Retention and Disposition Schedule.
Of note, the following
information is highlighted:
Accreditation Documents (GS
17, Item 100813) – retention is now 15 years (previously 10 years);
Emergency Call Records –
Tapes, Retained as Evidence (GS 17, Item 100750) – retention is now 10 years
(previously 3 years) or until case resolved or evidence released, whichever is
longer;
Emergency Call Records – 911
System Maintenance (GS 17, Item 100747) – retain as long as administratively
necessary (3) years, then destroy;
Radio Transmissions (non-emergency calls) (311) – retain 2 years after last entry (previously retain 2 years after creation), then destroy.
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The Fairfax County Department of Public
Safety Communications Honor Guard provided the presentation of colors at two
events recently held in the DC area.
Participating in the recent APCO Policy & Leadership Awards Dinner
were (L to R) Public Safety Communicator (PSC) I Shalonda Jones, PSC I Christopher
Frederick, PSC III Erikk
Daniels, PSC II Maronda
Lockhart, PSC II Liza Nicholas, and Assistant
Supervisor Alicia Dale. |
The Honor Guard also presented colors
at the “9-1-1 Honors Gala” held March 26, 2009, at historic Union Station in
Washington D.C. Vocalist Sherrie White
sang the National Anthem to open the event which was hosted by the E9-1-1
Institute, in conjunction with the Congressional E9-1-1 Caucus and the
National Emergency Number Association (NENA). Back row (L to R): PSC I Christopher
Frederick, PSC III Erikk
Daniels, PSC II Liza Nicholas, and Director Steve
Souder. Front Row: Assistant Supervisor Sherrie White, PSC II Maronda Lockhart, PSC I Shalonda Jones, and
Assistant Supervisor Alicia Dale. |
Bill Hobgood Honored By E9-1-1 Institute
WASHINGTON--The E9-1-1
Institute, in conjunction with the Congressional E9-1-1 Caucus and the National
Emergency Number Association (NENA), presented Linwood W. “Bill” Hobgood, Jr., the Systems Development Leader for
Richmond, Virginia’s Department of Information Technology, with the 9-1-1
Technician Award as part of the 6th annual “9-1-1 Honors Gala”
held March 26, 2009, at historic Union Station in Washington D.C. The purpose of the 9-1-1 Technician Award is to honor the quiet leaders whose work is
largely behind-the-scenes, yet essential to making 9-1-1 voice and data
networks reliable and effective. Bill Hobgood leads a team of developers
in the programming, implementation and enhancement of automated computer
systems that support the City of
Not only is Hobgood the
architect of
“It
is truly an honor for our organizations to once again recognize the everyday
heroes of 9-1-1,” said Gregory L. Rohde,
Executive Director of the E9-1-1 Institute. “Without the initiative and technical know-how of people like Bill,
the calls simply would not go through.”
Virginia
To Download, Right Click and “Save File/Target As”
Virginia T.E.R.T. Guidelines Released
The T.E.R.T. Steering Committee has released Guidelines and Application Information for
the Virginia Telecommunicator Emergency Response Team Program. Questions or comments may be directed to Committee
Chair Julie P. McKercher, Director - James City County Emergency Communications.
Program Guidelines and Applications
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to Download
Virginia Chapter Endorses Common Language Protocols
February 23, 2007
Dear Virginia APCO Members:
The Virginia Chapter of the
Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (VA APCO) recognizes the
need for clear, concise and consistent communications between all
For this reason, the
Executive Board of VA APCO has unanimously voted to endorse the Virginia Common
Language protocols and encourages the use of the protocols for all
communications. The Executive Board of VA APCO encourages you to affect
usage of the Virginia Common Language Protocols in your employment, locality or
business so as to promulgate the protocol's usage throughout the Commonwealth.
Sincerely,
Bill Agee, President
Virginia Chapter of APCO
View or Download Endorsement Letter
To Download, Right Click and
“Save File/Target As”
Chapter History
Chapter Historian Butch
Johnstone has been researching the Chapter’s history. He has provided an Adobe file
with an early Bulletin article, page 21, and the oldest copy of Constitution
and By-Laws that International can find (the first 20 pages). Actually,
this represents the entire contents of International's file on VA
Chapter. The Bulletin article includes the names of those instrumental in
chapter formation (APCO President Paul Franklin, Virginians: Marshall, Lee,
Anderson, Crosen and 23 others), past membership in the National Chapter, and
"charter application to be filed at least 60 days before the 1960
Conference".
