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1 | P a g e
Texas Talks
technology consul t ing
MONTHLY
JOURNAL OF
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY TechTimes
The success of
our
organization
is dependent
on your
involvement.
Find your
voice and let
it be heard!
My vision was one of Achievement, Passion, Collaboration and Outstanding service to our members and those in our profession.
Achievement: We promised to bring training to you – and we did. Texas
APCO sponsored 8 Active Shooter courses from Abilene to Tyler to San
Marcos to Portland to Klein to Smith County where we held our first Training
Symposium. For the first time we were able to train over 160
Telecommunicators and logged over 1600 training hours – at NO cost to the
students or their agencies!
Passion: We asked for your involvement; to join a committee; to let your
voice be heard – and we heard – from a lot of you! This organization is not
successful because of your elected Board but rather because you choose to
get involved!
Collaboration: We solidified our relationship with Texas NENA and secured
Galveston as the location for the Conference through 2018. We continue to
foster our relationship with Texas TERT and to identify ways to support not
only those in Texas APCO but those in other organizations as well.
Outstanding: We increased our communication with our members through
newsletters, an updated website and utilizing PSConnect for email blasts
and information.
In less than two weeks, my time on this Board comes to an end. The last five years have been an incredible learning experience for me and a humbling one as well. It has been one of my greatest pleasures to have served you. Thank you for an amazingly unforgettable ride!
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this issue Open Source Revolution P.1
IT Management Tips P.2
Non-Profit Solutions P.3
Trends & New Software P.4
Texas Talks
Mindy Adams, RPL, ENP
President of Texas Chapter
of APCO
A Publication of the Texas Chapter of the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials
A Publication of the Texas Chapter of the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials
April
2015
Hello Texas Chapter of APCO! I hope this newsletter finds each of you well and ready to join us in Galveston in less than two weeks. My term on the Board as well as your Texas APCO President is coming to an end and as the title says What a Ride! In April of 2014 I was sworn in as your President It’s a position and representation of our Chapter that I’ve taken very seriously. The Board’s vision was clear, attainable and one that brought us to you!
2 | P a g e
The success
of our
organization
is dependent
on your
involvement.
Find your
voice and let
it be heard!
Washington, D.C.
By: Nancie Lutze, RPL
President - Elect Texas Chapter
Headed to Washington DC?
We hope to see you at APCO 2015 in Washington DC August 16th
-19th.
To take advantage of your conference rate Hotel rooms – book your room soon. http://www.apco2015.org/hotel-travel/ Check out the program guide for times/dates of events, networking opportunities and classes. Additional information can be found at http://www.apco2015.org/. This is a conference venue you do not want to miss.
Things to Do in Washington DC
If you have some available time while in Washington DC, put down the pocketbook and check out one of the many free museums or visit the National Mall. Did you know that the Smithsonian has 15 museums you can visit free of charge? Plus admission is free at the National Zoo and you can see these cute panda bears nibbling on bamboo.
Go to the conference page on the APCO International website there is a tab on the Hotel and Travel link for “Things to Do in DC.” You can also find transportation information on the Hotel and Travel link. Here is a quick link to free attractions in Washington DC. Free Attractions in DC We look forward to seeing you in the nations’ capital, Washington D.C.! Sincerely, Nancie Lutze President-Elect of Texas Chapter of APCO
3 | P a g e
Lead Vertically
By: Monica Corbin-Simon
Texas APCO 1st Vice President
Lead Vertically by Craig Johnson—Director of Ministries, Lakewood Church
I’ve recently re-read the book Lead Vertically and it re-opened my eyes to the fact that if I want to see people around me in leadership role I must learn to Lead Vertically. In his book Mr. Johnson outlined in fourteen chapters from How to Build a Vertical Leader to When a Team Becomes a Family. Before I move forward I must first provide you with a definition of a “Leader”: The Vertical Leader is a person who views life on a different plane and inspires extraordinary change that helps others soar above their circumstances. Below you will see a few steps from the chapter:
Building the Vertical Leader
Vertical leaders see building others as the best way to experience the best in their own life.
Vertical leaders know that everyone is important and that strength and power has nothing to do with a person’s size but with their heart.
Vertical leaders are SHAPED through experience- it what is learned from the past will allow you to move ahead as well as bring another along. When speaking your mind you will only reach a mind, when speaking from your heart, you will reach a heart and when you speak from your life you will reach a life.
Vertical Leaders always LOOK UP. Some say if you hit rock bottom the only place is to go up. But Vertical Leaders always looks up. They are people who no matter what will strive for better each and every step of the way.
Vertical Leaders gravitate to other leadership and find key components to build their strength to impart into others
Vertical Leaders take the good, bad, and ugly to heart but continue to move forward.
Vertical Leaders know that ‘big doors swing on little hinges” which means that he/she identifies leadership qualities in others. They find the small things in others to build upon.
Vertical Leadership is not a new concept but a way of taking what you have, fine tuning it, look at the best vs. least in others, and building a dynamic team that can weather any storm they may face. Take a look in the mirror and ask yourself a few questions. What can you do as a leader? Do you recognize leaders around you? If so, what have you done to develop them? Monica Corbin-Simon 1
st VP of Texas Chapter of APCO
4 | P a g e
Tuesday Night Event!
By: Kimberly Turner
Texas APCO 2nd Vice President
JOIN US FOR SOME
TEXAS SIZED
TUESDAY NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
Wear Your Denim & Diamonds Attire
When: April 21st
at 7:00 pm
Where: Galveston Convention Center
Ballroom A & B, Galveston, Texas
Menu: Texas BBQ
Armadillo Races, Bull Riding, Raffle & Much More!!!
Ticket Information:
Tuesday Night Event Included With Full Registration!
Purchase a Tuesday Night Event Ticket For
Only $45.00/each person
Brought to you by: AIRBUS DS Communications
5 | P a g e
Bell County – A Winning Team
By: Tina Chaffin with Holly Kindle
Secretary / Treasurer
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The Bell County Communications Center is located in Belton, TX and serves a population of 326,843. The county consolidated operations in May of 1999. The Bell County Communications Center is a multi-functional, multi-jurisdictional center that
serves 60 agencies including police departments, fire departments, and EMS agencies. Bell County Communications also receives 9-1-1 calls for the unincorporated areas of Bell County. The dispatch floor can have a total of 78 employees working at one time.
There are currently 72 floor employee positions filled. There are on average 17 Telecommunicators on shift at any given time, depending on the shift. The consoles are split up as 2 fire dispatchers, 6 police dispatchers, 2 TLETS operators, 3-5 calltakers, 2
assistant Team Leaders, and 1 Team Leader. Killeen PD is the largest agency dispatched by Bell County Communications. Killeen has a population of 137,147.
Killeen PD requires 2 dispatchers for their city. Telecommunicators work 8 hours shifts. Dayshift is from 7a-3p and is allotted 25 employees. Evening shift is from 3p-11p and is allotted 29 employees, and midnight shift is from 11p-7a and is allotted 24 employees.
As you enter the hallway to go to the Communication Center, the walls are decorated
with Brag Boards for each shift. The shifts create their boards using a variety of themes. Each member of the shift is represented, and some shifts highlight a Telecommunicator
who has gone “Above and Beyond.” The boards, are bright, fun, and display a lot of creativity. The boards are placed so that they can be seen by anyone coming into work,
and anyone visiting the building.
6 | P a g e
Last year I said that 2014 was going to
be the best conference put together by
Texas APCO/NENA. I am going to
predict the 2015 Joint Conference is
going to surpass 2014’s conference.
This year we have improved many
areas, such as a new Industry
Partners (IP) Exhibit Hall layout, a
better registration process, more
dedicated IP exhibit hall time, and
much more.
I want to thank all of the Industry
Partners that participated in last
Bell County – A Winning Team
By: Tina Chaffin with Holly Kindle
[Type a quote from the document or the summary of an interesting
point. You can position the text box anywhere in the document. Use
the Drawing Tools tab to change the formatting of the pull quote text
box.] In addition to the Brag Boards, Bell County Communications has created a Family
Tree. Each member of Bell County Communications has a tag on the tree indicating their start date. As they move up in seniority, they move their tag up the tree. After 5
years, gold tags replace the silver tags. Like real trees, there are stronger, older branches, and smaller branches which are continuing to grow. In addition, there is an
area of the tree for fallen Telecommunicators.
Bell County Communications Center has found a way for Telecommunicators to express themselves, and be recognized by each other. Texas APCO received
numerous award nominations from Bell County Communications this year, and it paid off! Bell County Communications are the recipients of the Texas APCO
Telecommunicator Team of the Year Award. Holly Kindle with Bell County Communications is the award recipient of the Texas APCO Supervisor of the Year
Award, and Kari Roldan with Bell County Communications is the award recipient of Texas APCO Telecommunicator of the Year Award! The Texas APCO Board
congratulates Bell County Communications on their winning team of Telecommunicators!
7 | P a g e
REGISTRATATION IS NOW OPEN! Incredible speakers, educational sessions and of course the networking opportunities make this the premier 9-1-1
conference to attend!
Texas APCO / Texas NENA Public Safety Conference
April 19 – 22, 2015 Galveston, Texas
Lodging
Hilton Galveston Resort/San Luis/Holiday Inn
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS! Volunteers receive a day pass for any day in which they volunteer 4
hours. They also receive a Volunteer T-Shirt. Volunteer Here
Pre-Conference Courses:
Register for Pre-Conference Courses Here
Schedule – At a Glance: Schedule Here
For More Information About the Conference Visit: Conference Website
Get your raffle ticket for the 2016 Texas 9-1-1 Cruise. Winner will be
announced at the Wednesday Awards Luncheon and you do not have to be present to win. Contact Tina Chaffin
8 | P a g e
EYE ON IT Current Industry Trends
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SOFTWARE Monthly Picks
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Get Involved!
By: Tina Chaffin
Texas APCO Secretary / Treasurer
Involvement is only an e-mail away! E-mail any of the following chairs and help them with the committee of your choice. Opportunities for volunteers and serving on committees will be
open soon. Check the Texas APCO Website for more information. (Texas APCO) Alumni Committee** (membership limited to past presidents of Texas APCO) Chair: Immediate Past President, Shawn Barnes [email protected] Board Liaison: Mindy Adams [email protected]
Serve as resource to the Board
Support the Chapter
Identify new leadership within the Chapter
Awards Committee Chair: Jackie Cottongame [email protected] Board Liaison: Mindy Adams [email protected]
Solicits nominations from members as well as non-members for all categories awarded during the annual spring conference
Selects members of the Chapter to serve on sub-committees with the intention to score nominations in their area of expertise e.g. Telecommunicator of the Year, Supervisor of the Year, Team of the Year and Technician of the Year.
Reviews scores of annual nominations and recommendations of subcommittee members Submits recommendations of award designees to the Board Liaison
Educational/Training Committee Chair: Kim Turner [email protected] Board Liaison: Monica Corbin-Simon [email protected]
Identify educational and training opportunities and communicate such to members via effective marketing tools (flyers, emails blasts, newsletter article, etc.)
Provide a list of APCO courses within the State to the Newsletter editor quarterly
Serves as the Educational Session Chair for the Fall Conference as directed by the Board Liaison
Historical Committee Chair: Tina Chaffin [email protected]
Locate and preserve all historical records and other related materials for the Chapter
Maintains accurate and comprehensive records for historical content
Communicates the heritage of the Chapter to all interested parties
Serves as the resource for all members, Board officers and RPL students as needed
Membership Committee Chair: Gloria Little [email protected] Board Liaison: Nancie Lutze [email protected]
Recruiting new members as well as renewal membership
Encourage active participation of members within the Chapter
Develop effective marketing tools (flyers, email blasts, newsletter articles, etc.) to encourage membership
Serve as greeter during annual business meetings, as directed by the Board Liaison
Technical Committee Chair: Ken Yoder [email protected] Board Liaison: Bill Keller [email protected]
Provide pertinent information to Chapter members as well as the Board concerning technical issues that apply to public safety communications
Encourage professional development as well as provide innovations in the field of public safety communications
Credential Committees** (Limited Membership) Chair: Ken Yoder [email protected] Board Liaison: Shawn Barnes [email protected]
Identifies members of Texas APCO eligible for Chapter or National membership designations
Makes recommendations to the Board for nominations
**Denotes an Ad-Hoc Committee or Taskforce created by the President.