Issue link: http://lawandordermag.epubxp.com/i/98779
ON THE JOB NEWS EYE ON EDUCATION DISCIPLINE SOCIAL NETWORKING JUST HANDED DOWN MISSION CRITICAL SYSTEMS APCO Publishes ANSIApproved Incident Type Codes for Data Exchange By Jennifer Gavigan Jennifer Gavigan is the Managing Editor of Tactical Response, LAW and ORDER and Police Fleet Manager Magazines. She can be reached at jgavigan@hendonpub.com. T www.apcointl.org he Association of Public-Safety Communications Offcials (APCO) International released the PublicSafety Communications Common Incident Type Codes for Data Exchange, APCO American National Standard (ANS) 2.103.1-2012 after receiving fnal approval from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) earlier this month. 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 classifcation will be required to assure they understand the type of situation. ���A standardized list of Common Incident Type Codes is a signifcant step forward in facilitating effective data exchange between PSAPs who wish to share incident information. As NG9-1-1 systems deploy, data interoperability will become increasingly important,��� APCO President Terry Hall stated. 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 following is an example of how the Common Incident Type code can be utilized: PSAP A receives a 9-1-1 call reporting a vehicle accident with unknown status of injury. PSAP A���s CAD system assigns an agency specifc incident code of Sig80-U. PSAP A���s CAD system maps Sig80U to the applicable standardized code of: MVAUNK (common code for motor vehicle accident unknown injury). PSAP A sends the incident to PSAP B. PSAP B receives the following: Common Incident Type Code MVAUNK. PSAP A Internal Type Code - Sig80-U. PSAP A incident notes ��� blue pickup truck in the median unknown injuries. In the above example, PSAP B has the ability to know that the ���general��� type of call they are receiving is a vehicle accident where the status of injury is unknown. Without the standardized incident type code, PSAP B would be challenged to understand what ���Sig80-U��� refers to. It is also important to consider how Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs), Fusion Centers and other authorized agencies monitoring situational awareness/common operating pictures would make use of the standardized codes. PSAP internal codes may be diffcult for emergency managers at a regional EOC to discern. During large scale incidents for example, 14 LAW and ORDER I December 2012 it would be challenging if every ���headache��� call or every ���larceny investigation��� were to appear separately on the EOC mapping system using a variety of different incident type codes. In these cases, standardized codes will provide a way for incidents to be classifed more effciently before they display. To defne the core competencies and minimum training requirements of the individual who is generally tasked with providing leadership and guidance to employees, the purpose of this standard is to provide a consistent foundation for the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to fulfll this critical function. This standard recognizes the need to supplement the training and core competencies identifed within this standard with agency specifc information. This standard, along with other APCO American National Standards, may be downloaded at www.apcostandards.org. For questions regarding APCO Standards, please e-mail standards@apcointl.org. APCO International��� is the world���s largest organization of public safety communications professionals. It serves the needs of public safety communications practitioners worldwide ��� and the welfare of the general public as a whole ��� by providing complete expertise, professional development, technical assistance, advocacy and outreach. LaO Post your comments on this story by visiting www.lawandordermag.com