Alexandria, Va. — The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International today announced the winners of its Horizon Award. The Horizon Award acknowledges the efforts of communications centers that have proactively assessed and met the technological and operational needs of their center, employees and service population and are presented to one large center and one small center. The awards will be presented at the APCO International 76th Annual Conference and Exposition in Houston, Texas on August 3.

The 2010 Horizon Award for a Large Center is being presented to Raleigh-Wake (NC) Emergency Communications. Raleigh-Wake (N.C.) Emergency Communications used Twitter connected with Google maps to provide a near real-time display of traffic incidents to the media and the public, reducing non-emergency calls and improving call handling during high-volume times.

The 2010 Horizon Award for a Small Center is being presented to Montgomery County (Tenn.) E-911 Center. Montgomery County (Tenn.) E-911 Center recently installed a state-of-the-art Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) capable public safety answering point (PSAP), allowing forward migration to the new standard without interruption of service while maintaining current operational needs.

“APCO International is proud to honor Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications and Montgomery County E-911 Center with these awards and call attention to the technological advancements they have made to enhance their life-saving services,” APCO International Executive Director George S. Rice, Jr. said.

The APCO International 76th Annual Conference and Exposition will be held August 1-4 in Houston, Texas. For more information, visit www.apco2010.org. To obtain a complimentary press pass, please contact Courtney M. Hastings at 571.312.4400 x7002 or [email protected]

About APCO International
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International, Inc. is the world’s oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to the enhancement of public safety communications. APCO 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.