FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Courtney McCarron
202.833.9600
mccarronc@apco911.org


APCO STRESSES FUNDING AS KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF THE NECP


July 15, 2008, Washington, DC - In testimony today before the House 
Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, 
Preparedness and Response, the Association of Public-Safety Communications 
Officials (APCO) International stressed the importance of full funding 
for interoperable emergency communications grant programs and the National 
Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) in order for the goals of the NECP to 
be successful.

"If the goals of the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) are to 
be successful, the Administration and Congress must ensure the NECP and the 
interoperable emergency communications grant programs are fully funded," APCO 
International First Vice President Richard Mirgon said in his testimony.

APCO International outlined four key principles that will be critical to the 
success of the plan.

- Local and state governments must buy into the plan.

- The Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) must be funded so that it can 
provide the necessary resources to accelerate the development of technical 
and operational communications standards.

- Voice communications on current narrowband land mobile radio networks will 
continue to be the most mission-critical form of communication.

- To mitigate the potential failure in emergency communications networks, 
agencies should develop strategies that asses vulnerabilities and develop 
continuity of operations plans at all levels.

"The NECP is a good first step, but a great deal of work still has to be done 
to meet the goals of the plan," Mirgon said in his testimony.  "The federal 
government has developed many plans over the past several years, but no matter 
how good a plan is, unless it gets the full backing of Congress to appropriate 
the necessary funds, the plan will most likely collect dust and wither away."

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About APCO International
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International 
is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to the 
enhancement of public safety communications. APCO International serves the 
professional needs of its 15,000 members worldwide by creating a platform for 
setting professional standards, addressing professional issues and providing 
education, products and services for people who manage, operate, maintain and 
supply the communications systems used by police, fire and emergency medical 
dispatch agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.apcointl.org.