British APCO Combined Autumn Event 2013

British APCO Combined Autumn Event 2013 Beaumont House, Old Windsor, 12th – 13th November 2013

CHANGE YOUR THINKING on Public Safety Communications

British APCO holds a number of updates and sessions throughout the year across many topics and initiatives. These had been spread across the calendar, and some still are, especially when they are a series of activities and meetings within an initiative. As much as possible, combining these helps to reduce costs for everyone involved, and creates a powerful concentration of members and partners from across our Public Safety community. This complements the Annual Event, and keeps critical initiatives progressing.

This year we assemble in Beaumont House, Old Windsor, with a wide, critical array of initiatives and Public Safety interest groups from across the UK (and EU), together in one venue. This notice is advance event information for members and Exhibitors.

We ask your support, in terms of supporting and joining in, exhibiting and sponsoring. Below is a snapshot of the sessions and workshops happening across the event. But firstly, and importantly, WHY you should be there, and WHAT critical initiatives British APCO is delivering. This is, as ever, in addition to the ongoing British APCO work, including the Annual Event and other events, Research programmes with UK and EU bodies, the Journals and e-Bulletins, the bridging and liaison across the diverse member community – and so on.

This is YOUR voice. We need your involvement and you need to support these initiatives. British APCO membership and sponsorships are the funding for these critical activities!

British APCO is driving the Campaign for Dedicated, Harmonised Spectrum for Public Safety. With many voices merely talking about this, and the difficulty of understanding how to view this issue when also thinking about ESMCP (see next item), British APCO took the initiative to hold a wide-based day in London to bring all the concerned parties together in a workshop on this critical topic. These included commercial stakeholders, blue lights stakeholders, RUSI, TCCA and FCS, among others. British APCO was able to obtain consensus, and a mandate, to take this Campaign forward. Much can be leveraged from APCO (in the US) and its partners achieving success with their similar Campaign, known as ‘the D-Block’. Everyone in Public-Safety needs to understand the key issues here, and to support this Campaign – we are YOUR voice!

British APCO is working with ESMCP as the only independent Public Safety entity being included in their work driving us to the next generation Public Safety communications platform (as announced by Home Office at our April 2013 event in Manchester). British APCO is maintaining a trusted, independent, honestbroker approach, which allows genuine and relaxed exchange around the core needs, especially with respect to the consternation surrounding provision of Mission Critical Voice (MCV) over the new Emergency Services Network (ESN) that our friends at ESMCP are driving forward. Engagement with the commercial providers is just under way, and British APCO is helping both Home Office and all the suppliers to understand the real issues and ‘keep everyone honest’ too.

British APCO is working with JESIP, including the following MAIT and NextGen999 programs:

-> British APCO delivering MAIT (Multi-Agency Incident data Transfer). Directly with Cabinet Office, British APCO has agreed a standard (v1, of many as this grows and spreads across many more Agencies in the UK) for incident data transfer between CAD equipment and personnel across the blue lights. The first instance of the server is being negotiated presently. CAD manufacturers have been vocal and helpful, as their technologies must be enhanced to meet this new standard. The standard will develop over the next decade at least, as more demands are made of this capability, and as more Agencies come on board. Early adopters (after the 3 blue lights) will include Department of Transport, Highways Agency, Coastguard, Utilities and Transport infrastucture … all the way through ultimately to Port Authorities and Blood Bikes. Get up to speed on MAIT – it’s happening now.

-> British APCO driving NextGen999. An initiative had been previously embarked upon, but British APCO revitalised it though dialogue with Cabinet Office and BT. The general public have smart technology, and are perceived as being ahead of Public Safety’s capabilities in terms of expectations; the expectations from the public that they can provide video, photos, docs etc. to emergency services, and that Contact can be carried out across text, Social Media and rich media services. Enhanced technology for EAs such as GPS location will save time and lives. British APCO is working to encourage Government to mandate telecommunication systems to update the technology, through OFCOM. It’s very overdue, having still not happened after 5 years. An aggressive set of initiatives to drive this, and to introduce Contact methods and rich data types, is now being progressed by British APCO.

British APCO supporting Cabinet Office, Home Office, blue lights, in initiatives to maintain currency for TacAds, and TSG. We are hosting the TacAds (Tactical Advisors) group update workshop and the TSG (Telecomms Sub-Groups) updates from Cabinet Office and other sources.

We are also assisting Government in understanding where we can derive benefit from Body Worn Video (BWV), holding workshops for all, with the objective being to provide a comprehensive report.

You need to be at our Autumn Event in Old Windsor, supporting the delivery of these critical initiatives for Public Safety and making your voice heard too. The campaigns and the work we’re undertaking above needs funding, and we absolutely believe that the entire Public Safety community recognises the value of what British APCO is delivering. Note that we will most especially need as much funding as we can get to drive the Campaign for Dedicated, Harmonised Spectrum for Public Safety, which goes well beyond the 3 blue lights, and covers all 1st and 2nd tier responders and can provide spectrum solutions for Ports, Transport and Public Safety assets including energy and business continuity.

Autumn Combined Event: meetings and sessions, 12th – 13th November 2013

General Exhibition and Networking Area:
There is a welcoming, relaxed space as you enter, on the route to the session rooms, providing lots of space for exhibitor areas and networking. There will be lunch, refreshments and dinner opportunities for sponsoring, in addition to sponsoring of session space and main logo sponsorships.

Session rooms: Download the program here.

British APCO believe that this November Combined Autumn Event is a ‘must-attend’ for everyone involved in communications for Public-Safety. Our community is relying heavily on British APCO with respect to the critical issues and initiatives discussed above. British APCO is dependent upon your support and participation in these important sessions, workshops, progress meetings and updates.

Most of all, British APCO look forward to seeing you at Old Windsor. This is a step on the road to our Annual Event in Manchester, 1st and 2nd April 2014, where these initiatives and subjects will continue to progress, and we will hold further meetings, development sessions, updates, and continue to work with you on each.

British APCO

In the first instance, please get in touch with Tracey Langmaid urgently to ensure your arrangements are taken care of, tracey.langmaid@bapco.org.uk +44 (0)1522 548325.