Light overcast, 76°
Light Drizzle

1997 Annual Conference
Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO)

Sunday, August 10th

by Gary Allen

[links are photos]

(Charlotte, S.C., 12:50 a.m.) -- Thousands of delegates of APCO have descended on this city to talk about the important issues of public safety dispatching, including 911, 311, ergonomics, disability and wireless access. They came by air and car, many from the eastern and southern United States, but also from as far away as Australia, Japan and Europe.

It was ironic, if not appropriate, that the first view of the city included Ericsson Stadium, home of the NFL's Charlotte Panthers. They call it "the Big E." On the way in, the shuttle bus was filled with conversations sprinkled with references to "dumping" (311 calls to local agencies) and "Phase I compliance" (with the FCC's wireless access rules. The weather was warm (lower 80's) and it was humid, but not all that unpleasant. Of course, coming from the west coast, everyone had a southern accent to my ear, and their wardrobes usually included shorts.

An APCO sign greeted airport arrivals and pointed to a help desk adjacent to the baggage claim carousel. The personnel there helpfully directed me to an inexpensive shuttle bus to my hotel downtown. Charlotte is known as "The Queen City." It's a quaint old town with lots of brick buildings, several downtown churches with expansive grounds, near downtown homes and apartments with wrought-iron details, and plaques marking where the Confederate cabinet met. Throughout Sunday morning groups of church worshipers arrived and left services.

Many downtown buildings--they call it Uptown--are linked together by the Overstreet Mall, a series of tubes that span the streets and allow pedestrians to move around in air-conditioned comfort and to avoid the rain.

One of the Uptown attractions is Discovery Place, a hands-on encounter with science, nature and everything miscellaneous. Although the founders may have intended the place for children, adults will find it full of interesting things to see and do. The building includes an Omnimax Theater showing huge-screen presentations.

There were several classes today, including a supervisor's course, and others in advance fire and police dispatching. But the first real APCO session begins tomorrow with a special talk by Andy Hickman on "The Real Magic Is In You." The conference then kicks off with a noon luncheon with Congressman Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania. APCO's first business session is at 2:30 p.m. and various association issues will be discussed then. At 8 p.m. the formalities are over and APCO holds its first social event--a Carolina Beach 'N Boogie Celebration.

Of course, the APCO registration area at the Charlotte Convention Center was crowded with attendees checking in, getting their TRW-supplied nylon backpack, filled with conference material, and visiting the various booths sponsored by cities who will host the conference in the future.

In the coming week, there are sessions on mobile data, handling wireless calls, statewide radio systems, NYPD's new radio system, implementing 911, complying with the ADA, Project 35 on 311, consolidation, digital radio, GPS and AVL systems, the Emergency Alerting System, and staffing issues APCO has designated tracks for management and planning, innovative technology, information systems, training and interaction and 911.

All photos and text copyright 1997, 911 Dispatch Services, Inc.