Spring Conference class descriptions updated

Descriptions of classes being offered at the Spring Kansas APCO/KCJIS Conference have been updated.  You can view them at http://www.ksapco.net/spring_schedule.html.

Senate Bill 50 passes the House

Senate Bill 50 passed through the Kansas House today with one amendment.  Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

Spring Conference nearing

The Kansas APCO Spring 2011Conference is quickly upon us. This year it is being held at the Ramada Inn in Topeka Kansas on April 10-12. Also this year, instead of the KCJIS Conference being held separately, they are combining with our conference. This should be a great conference. This is a wonderful time to network with your fellow dispatchers and other public safety officials. It is jammed pack with a lot of great and relevant training. You also have the ability to see some of the wonderful products that are available for dispatch, dispatch centers and criminal justice agencies by visiting the vendors that are present. The pre-registration deadline expires on March 27. This is the time to make the last push to get your agency to allow you to come. You may get the specifics of the conference at the Kansas Chapter of APCO Web site of:

http://ksapco.net/spring.html

If you have been to a conference, then you already know how great they are and how much you can learn and yes, even relax. We have some great social functions and entertainment provided and we will also be announcing our Telecomunicator of the Year. Come and see what all the fun is about and honor your wonderful profession. You will return back to work refreshed with more knowledge and many ideas to present to your employer and co-workers.

I would also like to encourage you to join APCO International. You don’t have to be an APCO member to come to the conference but there is a $ 15 discount if you are a member. If you are interested in joining APCO, please download an application at the below link:

http://www.apcointl.org/new/membership/join.php

Whether you can make it or not, as the Kansas Chapter Executive Committee Person, I would encourage you to let me know about any ideas or concerns you have that can make the Kansas Chapter of APCO better, or the dispatch profession in general. I will be happy to take these ideas and present them to the Board of Directors and be an advocate for you to the board. Our goal is to make the Telecommunicator profession in the State of Kansas the best it can possibly be.

You may contact me below with any information or I will be available at the Topeka Spring Conference to visit with you. Please pass this on to your fellow co-workers and I hope to see you all at the conference.

Brad L. Gilges
Kansas Chapter of APCO
http://ksapco.net/
Chapter Executive Committee-person
Vendor Liaison Representative
% Franklin County Sheriff's Office
305 S. Main St.
Ottawa, Kansas 66067
E-mail: bgilges@franklincoks.org
http://www.franklincoks.org/
Phone: 785-242-3800
Fax: 785-229-1205

911 Bill clears House Committee

From Michele Abbott, KSAPCO Legislative Chair

This morning, the House Energy and Utilities Committee approved an amended version of SB 50. This legislation represents comprehensive change in the 911 laws of the state. As the bill came out of the House Committee, it:
• Imposes a 55¢ monthly fee on all wireless, wireline, and VOIP services and a 1.1% fee on all prepaid services. The Senate had reduced the amount to 50¢ (and 1% for prepaid).
• The fee will be collected centrally by the Local Collection Point Administrator (LCPA) that will be selected by the 911 coordinating council. Funds will be redistributed to PSAPs based upon zip+4 data. There will be a grant fund available to help smaller PSAPs and each county will be guaranteed at least an annual distribution of $50,000.
• Establishes a 911 coordinating council to be headed by a PSAP Administrator.
• Establishes limits to the uses of these funds that are consistent with current law in this area. Also, requires monies to be repaid to the grant fund if they are used for a non-allowable purpose.

The House's work returns the fee to a level where PSAPs in Kansas should be held harmless (and some will receive enhanced 911 funds). In addition, the House reduced the state bureaucracy that was set out in the Senate bill. If the bill clears the House Floor next week, it will be headed to a conference committee to work out the differences between the House and the Senate versions of the bill.

House Committee votes today; Call to Action!

From Melissa Wangemann, Kansas Association of Counties - The House Energy and Utilities Committee will be working 911 tomorrow, Thursday 3/17. We are expecting approximately 25 amendments to be offered to the bill. Substantially amending the bill will make it difficult to find compromise in conference committee between the House and Senate. We are worried about losing the legislation. The Sena te is saying this is the last year it will hear the legislation; it is now or never. We are recommending that no amendments be adopted, except for one -- the amendment that increases the fee from $.50 to $.55.


Please contact your House members, especially those on the House Energy and Utilities Committee, and ask them to hold off the amendments. A complete listing of the committee is available at:

http://kslegislature.org/li/b2011_12/year1/committees/ctte_h_engy_utls_1/

You can click on the Representative's name and go to his/her website and the Representative's phone number and email address are available.

Update on SB50

From Legislative Chair Michele Abbott;

The House is currently hearing SB 50 and LKM submitted an amendment to make the bill look more like SB 48 from last year, which got hung up in the Senate last year.

Legislative updates from both the KAC and LKM, as well as a comparison between the 2011 SB50 and the 2010 version of SB48 are included on the KSAPCO website at http://www.ksapco.net/SB50.html.

Click on "Update on SB50" to link to the document.