Alexandria, Va. – The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International is seeking comments on a Candidate American National Standard (ANS) released today that identifies a list of Common Incident Type Codes for Data Exchange.

Candidate APCO ANS 2.103.1-201x focuses on providing a standardized list of incident type codes to facilitate effective incident exchange between Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) and other authorized agencies.  The ability to efficiently share incident information between disparate PSAPs and other authorized agencies is a critical component of public safety interoperability.  An agency that is receiving information about an incident must receive a basic level of incident classification to assure they understand the type of situation being handled.  Creating a standardized incident type code list does not mean that an agency must change the codes they use internally.  The intent is to have each agency map their internal codes to the standardized list.  No change in the agency’s internal process for incident entry will be necessary.

“A standardized list of common incident type codes is a significant 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 International President Gregg Riddle said.

The public review and comment period is an important step in the standard development process. This provides an opportunity for all interested parties to review and contribute.  The draft standard can be downloaded for review at:  https://www.apcointl.org/standards/standards-call-to-action/. Comments must be submitted by September 3, 2012 to [email protected] and should include the name of the standard, line number in question, existing text, and proposed resolution.

About APCO International
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.