Public Safety Communications

[Originally published in the September/October 2026 issue of PSC magazine] By Christopher King For those who worked in public safety communications on September 11, 2001, the date is more than a chapter in history. It is a shift marker in the evolution of our profession, measured not only by the tragedy that unfolded before the world, but by the profound transition it sparked within emergency communications centers (ECCs).

On September 1, 2026, the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce considered the AI for Secure Networks Act, H.R. 7294. The bill would direct the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to study the impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology on the security of telecommunications networks, including both the risks posed by advanced AI and the possibility of using AI in defense of such networks. Rep.

Amid a declared disaster that generated over 1,800 calls for service in just two hours handled by six on-duty telecommunicators, joined by leadership staff, every assisting 9-1-1 center responded with exceptional professionalism. Yet one neighboring telecommunicator’s actions rose above. Laraway Emergency Communications Center Telecommunicator Carynn Gayton received a call from a concerned family member whose loved ones in Kankakee County could not reach 9-1-1.

Alexandria, VA – The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International received a grant award of $65,000 from Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Solutions. The grant is administered through APCO’s Silent Key and Commercial Advisory Council Scholarship Program, which makes scholarship funds available to public safety communications professionals to participate in APCO Institute training.

Alexandria, VA – The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International is seeking comments on candidate American National Standard (ANS) Public Safety Communications Common Incident Types for Data Exchange. Incident type codes are used by emergency communications centers (ECCs) and public safety entities to classify the incidents they handle. These codes commonly use a combination of alphanumeric characters that are meaningful only to a specific agency or region.

Alexandria, VA – The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International is proud to announce the final approval of two standards on June 26: NENA/APCO Minimum Training and Operational Standards for TTY/TDD Communications in PSAPs, NENA/APCO-STA-051.2-2026, and NENA/APCO Standard for Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce (TERT) Deployment, NENA/APCO-STA-050.3-2026.

Henry L. Richter, Ph.D., 99, of Escondido, California, passed away Aug. 12 as a Life Member of APCO International and the California Public-Safety Radio Association. Richter’s career ranged from terrestrial to space-faring engineering and communications. He first joined APCO in 1946, right out of the Navy and working in public safety radio communications on behalf of Southern California agencies.

Richard K. Bauer, 75, of Wheaton, Illinois, retired deputy director for DuPage Public Safety Communications and a key figure in the Illinois APCO Chapter, passed away July 30. Bauer’s keen interest in radio communication guided many of his life’s passions and his professional life. Early in his career, Bauer hosted a radio show and parlayed that job into work for DuPage Public Safety Communications or DU-COMM, where he managed 9-1-1 emergency communications.

Wednesday, August 5, 2026 | 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Kristin McKinney, Nikki Newton and Christy Williams, ENP, of NCT9-1-1, Arlington, Texas Leah Lakstins, Kathy Mammon and Flynn Nogueira of Motorola Solutions North Central Texas Emergency Communications District (NCT9-1-1) and Motorola Solutions turned public safety children’s art into building-sized murals in North Central Texas. “I think it’s very meaningful,” said Nikki Newton, NCT9-1-1’s community engagement coordinator.

By Rick Goldstein The Connect & Celebrate Dinner in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center on Wednesday, Aug. 5, featured award presentations, the swearing-in of the Board members and of the 2026-2027 Executive Committee. It also featured the farewell and inaugural addresses from outgoing President Jack Varnado and incoming President Michael O’Connor. Dinner and dancing wound up the evening and closed APCO 2026 in San Antonio.