Welcome to the 2012 APCO Global Congress

Keri Losavio May 2, 2012 APCO

“Salaam Alaikum.” Translated literally, this traditional greeting means “Peace be upon you” and is how APCO Global Alliance Chair Geoff Spring opened the 2012 APCO Global Congress on Tuesday, May 1.

“Our vision is to promote and influence excellence in the development and use of public safety communications and information management systems on a global scale and to proactively encourage cooperation among the participating organizations to help make the world a safer place in which to live,” sad Spring.

He introduced the other APCO Global Alliance delegates: Gregg Riddle, president of APCO International; Mark Cannon APCO International chief of staff; Alan House, British APCO president; Sue Lampard, vice president of British APCO; and Ian Readhead, immediate past president of British APCO. The Alliance partner from APCO Canada, Ryan Lawson, was not able to attend.

Several distinguished guests were formally recognized:

Mr. Saeed Bin Abed, chief executive officer, Nedaa Corporation;

Mr. Khalifa Hassan Al Darrai, chief executive officer, Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services;

Mr. Mansoor Bu Osaiba, deputy chief executive officer, Nedaa Corporation;

Lt. Col. Rashid Massam Al Buflaseh, office manager for the Office of the Director General, Dubai Civil Defence;

Mr. Abdhulla Mohammad Al Marzouki, IT manager, Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services;

Mr. Ali Musa Ali, head of dispatch, Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services;

Mr. Neil Kirby, ambulance operation director, Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services;

Omar Al Raeesi, customer relations manager with Air Traffic Engineering Services, Dubai Air Navigation Services;

Mr. Ahmed Ahli, procurement manager for Dubai Air Navigation Services;

Troy Buckley, senior manager with Air Traffic Engineering Services, Dubai Air Navigation Services; and

Adel Wuhaib, transformation team leader and superintendent of industrial security training division for Saudi Aramco.

Delegates to the Congress came from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Germany, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, United Kingdom, United States of America and, of course, United Arab Emirates, our host country.

Spring also recognized the Congress’s strategic partners and endorsers, Dubai Civil Defence, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Nedaa Corporation, Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services, Dubai Air Navigation Services and Dubai Convention Bureau. Emirates Airlines is the official carrier for the event.

Spring then introduced Lt. Col. Rashid, who also welcomed delegates to the Congress and made a statement that likely resonated with all the delegates in attendance: “Never underestimate our overall efforts to protect our environment. We are struggling always for the state of the art in this stage of transition to digital technology.”

On behalf of the APCO Global Alliance, Spring offered a small memento to Col. Rashid as a token of appreciation. He then invited onto the stage Mr. Saeed Bin Abed, Neil Kirby and Mr. Ahmed Ahli and presented each with a token of appreciation.

“We anticipate building on our valued relationships in the years to come,” said Spring in conclusion.