FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OPCD Executive Director Tyrell Morris
Appointed to Lead National 9-1-1 Standards Writing Group
NEW ORLEANS (October 5, 2018) – The Association of Public Safety Communication Officials (APCO International) has appointed OPCD Executive Director Tyrell Morris as Chair of the standards writing group responsible for the revision of ANS Standard 2.103.1-2012 (Public Safety Communications Common Incident Types for Data Exchange). This APCO ANS focuses on providing a standardized list of Common Incident Type Codes to facilitate effective incident exchange between Next-Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) PSAPs and other authorized agencies, which is a critical component of public safety interoperability. If an agency is receiving information about an incident, a basic level of incident classification will be required to assure they understand the type of situation. The creation of this standardized incident type code list does not mean that the agency is required to change the codes they use internally. The intent is to have each agency map their internal codes to the standardized list. The writing group consists of several public safety communications officials who have volunteered to undergo this effort.
“The public expects and depends on us as public safety leaders to hunt for opportunities to do our job better. The technology available to emergency services agencies today is remarkable. Our job is to help shape how our partners use resources to execute their mission.” – OPCD Executive Director Tyrell Morris
“New Orleans has become a role model and an industry leader in emergency response and management. We are excited that Director Morris has this opportunity to spearhead an effort that will improve our ability to keep the people of Orleans Parish safe.” – Beau Tidwell, OPCD Board Chairman.
The standards writing group will meet regularly and will provide updates to the public safety community as they move towards a finished product. APCO International has several standard writing groups in progress and is seeking volunteers to aid in their development.
For more information on APCO and the standard writing process, visit https://www.apcointl.org/standards/
About the Orleans Parish Communication District
Formed in 1982, the Orleans Parish Communication District is the public safety answering point (PSAP) for all emergency communications via 9-1-1 within Orleans Parish. The agency employees over 140 individuals and provides emergency medical dispatch, emergency fire dispatch, and emergency police dispatch for the millions of annual visitors and residents of the City of New Orleans. OPCD is a member of the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA)
For Media Inquires
Contact: Marcus Creel
Public Engagement Manager
601-319-2024
mcreel@911nola.org
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