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National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) Charter
- The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) is a federation of organizations created to do the following:
- Encourage and facilitate implementation of the findings and recommendations of the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee (PSWAC); and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Public Safety National Coordination Committee (NCC);
- Develop and make recommendations to appropriate governmental bodies regarding public safety communications issues and policies that promote greater interoperability and cooperation between local, state, tribal, and federal public safety agencies;
- Serve as a standing forum for the exchange of ideas and information regarding public safety communications;
- Conduct an outreach component bi-directionally with high-level officials and end users regarding public safety communications;
- Develop tangible mediums to assist in the exchange of information between local, tribal, state, and federal entities;
- Identify, support and conduct studies and research on public safety communications;
- Support and promote collaboration across public safety disciplines through national leadership;
- Monitor new technologies and/or projects;
- Participate in matters of concern to the national public safety telecommunications community; and,
- Perform such other functions, as the NPSTC deems appropriate, consistent with relevant law.
- There shall be three classifications of participation in NPSTC: Governing Board, Liaison, and At-large Participants. The qualifications for membership in each classification shall be as follows:
- Governing Board:
- Voting Members – Shall consist of one officially designated primary representative and one alternate representative of each of the participating non-profit organizations whose members are predominately governmental entities and/or employees of governmental entities. Designated representatives each have one vote and in their absence their alternate representative may vote. If both the primary and alternate voting representatives are not available, the primary voting representative may, by written authorization, designate a voting representative to act as the proxy for the organization.
The founding NPSTC Chair is considered an At-Large member of the Governing Board and shall have one vote. The NPSTC Vice Chair (s) is a current primary voter for a member organization and has voting rights as the primary voter. The NPSTC Chair is a non-voting member.
The individual who has most recently resigned from the NPSTC Chair position holds the Past Chair position, at which time the current Chair will assume the Past Chair position. The Past Chair does not have voting privileges. The individual who has resigned from the NPSTC Chair position and has been elected by the Governing Board holds the Chair Emeritus position. The Chair Emeritus is an honorary title for a Past Chair, but the Chair Emeritus is not included in Executive Committee meetings. This position has no term limit and does not have voting privileges.
- Non-Voting Members (Associate Member) – Shall consist of one representative designated by the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS), Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group (CITIG), National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators (NCSWIC), Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), Utilities Telecom Council (UTC), standards organizations, and any other public safety organizations recommended by the Governing Board.
The designated Associate Member shall not have voting privileges but shall participate in all other NPSTC activities and shall be eligible to serve on any committee or working group. Associate Members shall be nominated for membership by a current Governing Board member and shall be approved by a majority vote of the Governing Board.
- Liaison Organizations:
- Shall consist of officially participating federal agencies and industry associations.
- At-large Participants:
- Shall consist of any individual or organization that has interest in public safety communications.
- The Governing Board shall govern the affairs of NPSTC, subject to the provisions of this charter. The participating organizations of the Governing Board consist of the following:
- Voting Members
- American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
- American Radio Relay League (ARRL)
- Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA)
- Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials – International (APCO)
- Forestry Conservation Communications Association (FCCA)
- International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
- International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM)
- International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
- International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA)
- National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO)
- National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials (NASEMSO)
- National Association of State Foresters (NASF)
- National Association of State Technology Directors (NASTD)
- National Emergency Number Association (NENA)
- National Sheriffs' Association (NSA)
- Associate Members (Non-Voting)
- Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS)
- Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group (CITIG)
- National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators (NCSWIC)
- Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
- Utilities Telecom Council (UTC)
- Liaison Organizations (Non-Voting)
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- National Telecommunications and Information Association (NTIA)
- Office of Emergency Communications (OEC)
- Office for Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC)
- Public Safety Communication Europe (PSCE)
- US Department of the Interior (US DOI)
- US Department of Justice (US DOJ)
- The Governing Board may add additional participating organizations by majority vote.
- Any official NPSTC recommendation or policy position shall require a consensus among those eligible to vote. A consensus does not necessarily require unanimity.
- The elected officers of the Governing Board shall consist of a Chair and two (2) Vice Chairs. The Chair will be elected in April every 2 years and the Vice Chair(s) shall be elected in April of alternating years for 2-year terms. If only one Vice Chair is elected the term shall not be concurrent with the term of the Chair. These offices will be allowed continuing term limits, except if the officer resigns and/or the Governing Board by majority vote determines otherwise.
- Only current primary voting members (not alternates) on the Governing Board may serve as the NPSTC Chair. Once the NPSTC Chair takes his/her position, he/she is no longer affiliated as the primary voter for that association and does not have voting privileges. The association will need to designate a new officially designated primary representative.
- The Governing Board may establish such committees, as it deems appropriate, and establish procedures for appointing respective Chairs and Vice Chairs, membership, and related operations.
- Officers and Committee Chairs must be employees of a public safety or public service organization, as defined in the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee (PSWAC) Final Report or a recognized organization representing these entities.
- The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chair, Vice Chair(s), Committee Chairs, Committee Vice Chairs and the Executive Director and may act upon routine matters without a vote of the Governing Board. Examples of routine matters include meeting arrangements, procedures, FCC filings in furtherance of matters previously approved by the Governing Board, and minor substantive matters.
- All Governing Board and Committee meetings shall be open to any At-large Participant; however, certain meeting topics may be restricted to public safety representatives.
- The Governing Board and its Committees shall provide at least 15 days notice of its meetings to its members. Notice of meetings shall be through such means as are approved by the Governing Board. Meetings may be conducted in person, by teleconference or via the public Internet.
- NPSTC has not been created by any agency or department of the federal government and shall not take any action, which would deem the NPSTC to be subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). Federal agencies may participate in NPSTC in a liaison capacity with the understanding that they are not voting members and that any assistance or comments they provide do not necessarily represent the official opinions of their respective organization.
- This Charter may be amended only upon the approval of a majority of the Governing Board.
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