Greetings NENA Members!
I am honoured to serve as your President for 2011 2012. The coming year will be filled with great opportunities to make significant contributions to public safety, and I look forward to working alongside each of you to achieve our shared goal of advancing 9-1-1 (and all other three-digit emergency telephone numbers) into the next generation.
Next Generation 9-1-1(?) represents the biggest change this industry has ever seen. It brings with it the promise of a new operating platform and features, such as text and video integration, previously unavailable to callers and responders. I am proud to say that after countless hours, revisions, and three rounds of public comments and review, the NENA Executive Board recently approved the landmark i3 document. i3 is another significant mile marker on the path to NG9-1-1(?), and while it is certainly not a build to spec sheet, the document provides a solid framework that will help guide NENAs work during my presidency and beyond. To bolster our efforts, I hope that you will consider volunteering for the newly created NENA Development Group (formerly the Technical and Operations Committees). By lending your knowledge and expertise to working groups focused on both NG and E9-1-1 concerns, you help ensure NENA remains on the forefront of all emergency communications issues.
As always, your NENA leadership remains committed to making public safetys voice heard in all arenas. We look forward to expanding our outreach efforts in the coming year to make sure that the government, the media, and the public understand that 9-1-1 is an essential component of the nations overall safety and security.
NENA will also work to improve our communications with you, the member. In the coming months, NENA will resume publication of a quarterly magazine entitled The Call. Coupled with a revamped website featuring improved tools to facilitate discussion with your 9-1-1 and public safety peers, we aim to keep you better informed than ever before on the most pressing industry topics.
This cannot be overstated: All of this work requires your input. I ask that you continue (or begin) to participate in both national and local conferences and committee activities in the coming year to strengthen NENAs position as The Very First Responders.
With Best Regards,
Rick Galway, ENP
NENA President