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Charter
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; 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
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 Past Chair position is held by the individual who
has most recently resigned from the NPSTC Chair
position. The Past Chair is held by the former NPSTC
Chair until the current Chair resigns or departs his/her
position on the NPSTC Governing Board, at which time the
current Chair will assume the Past Chair position. The
Past Chair does not have voting privileges. The Chair
Emeritus is held by the individual who has resigned from
the NPSTC Chair position and has been elected to this
position by the Governing Board. 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 Associate Members - Shall consist of one
representative designated by the Telecommunications Industry
Association (TIA) and others who may be designated
representatives of commercial entities or representatives of
public safety organizations from other countries. 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 task 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 members.
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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.
- 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 (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)
- Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group (CITIG)
- Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
- Utilities Telecom Council (UTC)
- Liaison Organizations (Non-Voting)
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- Federal Partnership for Interoperable Communications (FPIC)
- National Telecommunications and Information Association (NTIA)
- Office of Emergency Communications (OEC)
- Office for Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC)
- SAFECOM
- US Department of the Interior (US DOI)
- US Department of Justice (US DOJ)
- National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
- CommTech Program
- 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 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), and Committee Chairs 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 conference call 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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