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2017 SAFECOM Strategic Plan and Implementation Guide

Released
Revised
Related topics:
Emergency Communications

Author:SAFECOM Governance Committee

Under the leadership of Jay Kopstein, the SAFECOM Governance Committee developed and published the 2017 SAFECOM Strategic Plan and Implementation Guide, summarizing SAFECOM’s short- and mid-term priorities and its associated annual products and activities.  The Plan describes SAFECOM’s strategies to prioritize resources, strengthen governance, identify future investments, and address interoperability gaps over the long term. The document also includes an action plan outlining committee-specific products and activities to accomplish the goals and strategic priorities described in the Plan.

SAFECOM identified several broad goals on which to focus for 2017, which form the basis of the strategic priorities and work products identified by each of SAFECOM’s four committees. SAFECOM’s 2017 goals include:

  • Create more consistent messaging on efforts to augment existing public safety communications systems with IP-based solutions and Next Generation technologies;
  • Increase funding and support for the life cycle of existing and future interoperable and emergency communications priorities;
  • Change the perception of land mobile radio (LMR) as a “terminal technology;”
  • Combat the perception that interoperability has been solved;
  • Develop outreach strategies for educating newly-elected officials at all levels of government during the administration change on key public safety communications priorities and challenges;
  • Revise SAFECOM promotional materials to emphasize the significance of SAFECOM’s mission and representation across associations and disciplines;
  • Increase SAFECOM’s web-based presence by continuing to push for increased accessibility of written products on public and stakeholder platforms;
  • Assess the current state of SAFECOM membership and intellectual capital; and
  • Further support public safety communications officials with the implementation of effective governance structures and policies at the state, local, territorial, and tribal levels

In addition, SAFECOM leadership identified the need to focus on producing a smaller number of high-quality committee products in 2017 over a specific quantity; build simpler, easily digestible products to provide to a broader audience than just program members; and invite high-profile speakers and focus more time toward committee meetings for the spring 2017 meeting. The 2017 SAFECOM Strategic Plan and Implementation Guide was approved during the March 9, 2017, SAFECOM Executive Committee conference call and can be found here.

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