Washington, DC — The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International has been named to the 2006 Associations Advance America Honor Roll, a national awards competition sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), Washington, DC.
APCO International received the award for its Members Helping Members — Hurricane Katrina Relief. APCO International created the Members Helping Members program in order to provide direct assistance to the public safety communications professionals in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. Through this program, APCO International chapters and affiliates and communications centers across the U.S. adopted communications centers in the affected areas and provided the assistance they needed in the form of food, water, clothes, money or gift cards. Fifteen communications centers in Louisiana and Mississippi received support from other public safety communications professionals. Also as a part of this program, APCO International hosted the Members Helping Members Web Forum in which public safety communications professionals could seek or offer other assistance related to the disaster, including housing and transportation. In addition, APCO International collected donations from APCO International members and staff through its Public Safety Foundation of America’s (PSFA’s) Sunshine Fund. APCO International was able to donate over $100, 000 to more than 200 public safety communications professionals in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Now in its 16th year, the prestigious Associations Advance America Awards program recognizes associations that propel America forward — with innovative projects in education, skills training, standards setting, business and social innovation, knowledge creation, citizenship, and community service. Although association activities have a powerful impact on everyday life, they often go unnoticed by the general public.
“APCO International’s program truly embodies the spirit of the Associations Advance America campaign. It is an honor and an inspiration to showcase this activity as an example of the many contributions associations are making to advance American society,” remarked Associations Advance America Committee Chair Bill Bergman, CAE, president of William S. Berman Associates.
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.