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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT from CITIG Chair Jeff Brooks:

This is the time of year when we would be getting ready to meet up to share our expertise, visit with old friends and meet new ones at CITIG. COVID-19 has put a halt to that of course. I know you have all been busy managing the pandemic in your jurisdictions. The work you do is so important to the health and well-being of communities big and small across this country of ours. We have shown the importance of interoperability as we have navigated through these challenging times. 

I have long said that interoperability is not just about radios and frequencies, but it is about culture. I think we have done a great job pushing that culture forward but that work needs to continue. 

It is with mixed emotions that I inform everyone that last December 2019 was to be the last CITIG. I am saddened that I won’t have this forum to meet with all of you, share a laugh and a drink while learning, not just from our presenters, but from each other. I have gained so much more from you than I have given, and I am grateful.

I am also proud of the work we have done. CITIG was a group whose name was known not only in Ottawa, but in Washington too. I was honoured to attend a meeting in California last year on wild fires, not through CITIG but as part of a group discussing emergency notification. People there representing other agencies who had never been to Canada, knew of CITIG and the work we did with NPSTC. 

In closing, I would like to thank everyone who has supported me in my five years as CITIG Chair from Cheryl McNeil who made our last conference possible, to the three National Associations that provided us with support and guidance, and my fellow Board Members  and ED’s over the years who helped to make CITIG the success that it was.

Finally, to all of you - CITIG conferences were working conferences. We all got more out of them by putting more into them. It was always appreciated and never went unnoticed.

Feel free to look me up on Linked In and stay connected to each other. 

Thank you and take care,

Jeff Brooks

• IMPORTANT: The hotel room block for CITIG 13 closes October 31st - please book NOW to avoid missing out!
• CITIG 13 AGENDA NOW ONLINE!
• CITIG 13 Announced!
• Progress Report on a National Public Safety Broadband Network - Now Available
• New U.S. Resource on NG9-1-1 and Broadband
• APCO Releases Report on Broadband Implications for the PSAP

September Issue of Info 9-1-1 Québec

The September issue of Info 9-1-1 Québec is now available. Click 911 Bulletin to download.

OEC Border Interoperability Demonstration Project (BIDP) Closeout Reports Available

 

 BIDP (BIDP Fact Sheet) was a one-time $30 million grant program administered by OEC that focused on identifying innovative solutions to interoperability along the northern and southern U.S. borders.  The BIDP Closeout Report provides an overview of the program, lessons learned, and recommendations.  The report also includes individual grantee reports on the seven selected communities that detail project outcomes, technical assistance, and partnerships.  As a demonstration project, BIDP was intended to extend beyond the seven communities it funded.  As such, OEC also produced the BIDP Study on Rural and Urban Area Interoperability Solutions along and across International Borders (BIDP Rural Urban Study).  In this study, OEC examined the similarities and disparities in interoperability solutions for rural and urban border areas.  The study is intended for border communities to consider BIDP best practices, example solutions, and key rural/urban takeaways that may be applicable in their communities.

Member News Archive

CITIG 13 Agenda NOW ONLINE!

It’s about public safety and ensuring timely, coordinated and effective emergency responses. We need to get the right information to the right people at the right time.   So, what is standing in our way, and how can we fix it?

Join us for Canada’s premiere public safety interoperability event from December 1 to 3, 2019 in Toronto. The 13th Canadian Public Safety Interoperability Workshop (CITIG 13) promises to be an interactive, problem-identifying, and problem-solving workshop.

We honour the origins of CITIG and its evolution over the years, and we are taking into account the survey results from CITIG 12, where Governance issues rated highly. While technology continues to play a crucial role within interoperability, this year our focus will expand into the other lanes of the interoperability continuum.  Human factors, organizational culture, process, resiliency and more will be on the agenda.

The agenda for CITIG 13 is now online. Please click here to see the agenda and to register TODAY!

Limited exhibit and sponsorship opportunities also remain. Don’t Miss Your Chance to Participate in CITIG 13!

CITIG 13 Announced!

“We need to talk” Join us for Canada’s premiere communications interoperability event from December 1 to 3, 2019 in Toronto. The thirteeth Canadian Public Safety Interoperability Workshop, widely known as CITIG 13, will again break new ground on key voice and data interoperability, NG9-1-1 and more issues facing today’s public safety sector.

Want to attend? This event sells out consistently, so secure your spot today! Want to be an exhibitor or sponsor? Download the Contribution & Exhibit Package. In either case, do it early — all past workshops have sold out! Full details on our Event Page.

Progress Report on a National Public Safety Broadband Network - Now Available

In May 2018, Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Ministers Responsible for Emergency Management collectively acknowledged the benefits of a potential Public Safety Broadband Network (PSBN) and endorsed the establishment of a Temporary National Coordination Office (TNCO) to guide the work on a PSBN for the next two years. 

The TNCO Progress report released in June 2019 can be read here.

New U.S. Resource on NG9-1-1 and Broadband

 The National 911 Program and the National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA) have created a 16-page brochure NG911 & FirstNet Guide for State and Local Authorities to help local authorities understand the difference between NG9-1-1 and FirstNet as decisions are made about the future of emergency communications. Some of the information will be helpful to Canadian organizations. Download the guide here.

APCO Releases Report on Broadband Implications for the PSAP

In August, APCO International announced the publication of a seminal report titled Broadband Implications for the PSAP.  This report provides a forward-looking analysis of emergency communications, as 9-1-1 centers across the nation transition from decades-old technology to the broadband era and beyond.  The report and related materials can be accessed at www.apcop43.org. 

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