August 14-17 DISPATCH Monthly Magazine Preview Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday The APCO conference was in Boston several years ago, and we spent much of the time at the seminars and trade show, and not much time exploring the city. It took a full-blown vacation later to discover that Boston is truly one of America's great cities--lots of history, interesting sights, a colorful harbor and friendly people. Comedian Jon Stewart recently told David Letterman that he visited Faneuil Hall, and noticed an actor dressed like Ben Franklin walking about to lend atmosphere to the place. Thinking quickly, Stewart approached the man and pointed out, "You're from Philadelphia, dude!" Stewart says the actor couldn't break character and only blurted out, "I invented the bifocal!"

APCO Sets Sail in Historical City Task Force to Report on Staffing Solutions Trade Show Promises Several Announcements Wireless 911, Radio Congestion Still Are Hot Topics There is no city with more history than Boston. And against that background comes the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) with lots of history, including a very busy past year working on virtually every aspect of public safety communications--911, wireless, 311, spectrum congestion and allocation, staffing, certification, standards, etc., etc. Yet, despite this long history, things are changing rapidly at APCO--more regulatory and legislative activities in Washington (DC), and the group's recent move to take responsibility for 911 issues. Both shifts are based on the increased visibility of public safety communications among the public and politicians, which in turn requires more lobbying and education to reach the goals of increased and more efficient radio spectrum, and technical success in implementing Phase I and II of wireless 911. APCO officials spent a great deal of time in our nation's capitol, meeting with legislators and FCC administrators, testifying before Congressional committees, and otherwise twisting arms on radio and 911 issues. It's simply a fact of life that "wireless" is no longer a simple issue, and one pursued only by public safety and big companies. Now, it's being attacked by a wide range of consumer groups, companies and associations. Now, everything is wireless, at every level of use--consumers, businesses, government. Commerce and money are driving most of the wireless efforts, putting public safety--without a revenue stream or customers to fund its projects--at a distinct disadvantage. Yet, despite that disadvantage, APCO has--and must--continue to pursue the wireless issues: allocate that 24 MHz of space previously promised to public safety, finalize the standards for digital radio and get it deployed, implement wireless E911 at every local agency that has 911. APCO has also taken up 911 as one of its responsibilities in the past year, even meeting with the executive board of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) to find ways of reaching a consensus on common issues. Historically a technical, radio association, APCO now bills itself as a full-service public safety communications organization. DISPATCH Monthly will be attending the conference and posting same-day, on-line coverage of all the activities--stories and photos. We'll also be touring the Boston Fire Dept. comm center and posting a photo album of our visit. Our special coverage begins August 13th. A review of the scheduled conference seminars shows that there are many other issues: staffing, training, voice over the Internet, stress, a dispatcher certification program (in-progress) and telematics. As for Boston, the city has history, panoramic views, an exotic European feel and enough sports, music and cultural activities to fulfill anyone's wishes. OK, we admit that sometimes we can't understand what a Bostonian is saying--they have their own vocabulary, and the accents are a little heavy! But that's just part of the experience! We've assembled some resources for you (below) about the city and its attractions. Consider a walking tour of the city sights--it's perhaps one of the best walking-tour cities in America, with plenty of interesting sights, all within a short distance from each other. The Red Sox are in town for 7:05 p.m. games during the conference, the New England Aquarium is on whale-watch during the summer, the Boston Children's Museum is one of the country's best, and the city's harbor is home to tall ships of every description. The Agencies The Boston Fire Department is one of the country's most elite and historical, and issued a special welcome from newly-appointed Chief Paul A. Christian on its Web site. The department was established in 1678, and home to the world's first municipal fire alarm system--its first alarm rang on April 28, 1852. BFD began radio communications with mobile units October 23, 1925, using an AM station on callsign WEY to transmit to fire boats. For an excellent example of the BFD's history, look no further than across from the Hynes Auditorium, at the firehouse for Engine 33 and Ladder 15--it was built in 1888 and has been in continuous operation ever since! If you happen to stroll past Commonwealth Ave. and Dartmouth St., check the Vendome Memorial, in honor of firefighters who died in the line of duty in a 1972 incident. Lastly, the Bostonian Historical Society and Museum (206 Washington St.) has an exhibit, "Boston is Burning," that depicts significant fire events from 1620 to the present. One of the exhibits is a working Fire Alarm panel that allows visitors to pull a fire alarm box and see how it was received at Fire Alarm from 1925 to 1987. Admission is free with your conference ID. Here's Everything You Need to Know To help you prepare for your trip to Boston, we've assembled some Web links. Have fun! Official APCO 2000 Conference Web site Boston Police Department BPD -- Dispatcher Job Opening Boston Fire Department -- Special welcome from BFD! Comm center tours on Mon. & Wed. Boston EMS Boston Visitors & Convention Bureau Boston Visitors Information site Boston info by Frommer's -- walking tours, side trips, restaurants and other sights City of Boston Web site Boston Red Sox: Mon-Wed vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays (nights), Thurs-Sun vs. Texas Rangers Boston CitySearch Web site Faneuil Hall Marketplace -- lots of history, lots of shops and food Freedom Trail -- historic walk Boston Historical National Park -- including Charlestown Navy Yard & Bunker Hill Monument BHNP Special Events Charlestown Navy Yard - part of the National Historic Park Boston history Guide to public restrooms (?)