The recipients of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International's 2012 Public Safety Leadership in Policy Awards will be honored at APCO's annual Leadership in Policy awards dinner in Washington, D.C., on May 15.

The awards dinner commemorates leaders in public safety communications who are outstanding advocates for the industry and advance public safety policy. APCO has added a special category in 2012.

To mark the achievements of the Public Safety Alliance (PSA), APCO will recognize the leadership from each of the PSA partner organizations who helped secure legislation that changed the landscape of public safety communications. The PSA successfully advocated for legislation that allocated the D Block spectrum for public safety and $7 billion in funding. It also created FirstNet, an independent agency within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration that will ensure the development of a nationwide public safety broadband network. 

The tireless efforts of stakeholders from the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Sheriffs' Association, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the Major County Sheriffs' Association, the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association, the National Emergency Management Association and the National Association of EMS Officials resulted in the victory for public safety. APCO is recognizing members from each organization who made the D-Block campaign a success.

Here are the award winners:

Leadership in Advocacy Award: Richard Mirgon, past president, APCO International

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award: Jeffery Goldthorp, associate bureau chief, Federal Communications Commission

Leadership in Legislative Service Award: U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) and U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.)

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award: Anna Gomez, deputy assistant secretary for communications and information and deputy administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce

Special Partnership Recognition Awards

• Harlin R. McEwen, chair, International Association of Chiefs of Police Communications and Technology committee

• Christopher M. Moore, chief, San Jose Police Department

• Paul H. Fitzgerald, sheriff, Story County (Iowa), and NSA president

• William J. McCammon, executive director, East Bay Regional Communications System Authority

• Matt Cowles, director of government relations, National Emergency Management Association

• Raymond. J. Flynn, assistant sheriff, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

• Jeffrey D. Johnson, past president, International Association of Fire Chiefs

• Kevin McGinnis, program manager, National Association of State EMS Officials

• Andrew Seybold, CEO and principal consultant, Andrew Seybold, Inc.

Award recipients will be recognized by public safety communications leaders, government, state and local officials and others at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C.

Public safety communications officials interested in attending the May 15 dinner should visit the event website to purchase tickets.

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