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Governor Dunleavy Establishes Alaska 911 Advisory Board

Mar 24, 2022

March 24, 2022 (Anchorage) – Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy issued an Administrative Order Tuesday to establish the Alaska 911 Advisory Board to help improve public safety response across Alaska. This is the first effort to formalize a place for all 911 delivery stakeholders to collaborate and provide a policy framework and standardized process to improve the 911 system.

“Declared disasters occur in Alaska every 90 days. Personal emergencies happen every day in urban centers and in villages and beyond. It’s imperative that our emergency response is comprehensive and coordinated statewide.” said Governor Dunleavy. “With advancements in technology, 911 has become a much more complex service. This 911 Advisory Board will bring all the stakeholders of 911 delivery together — State public safety agencies, first responders, dispatchers, local governments, Alaska Native entities, rural areas, and telecommunication companies – to help find the holes in a good system and improve upon it.”

The Board will consist of 13 voting members, one non-voting member, and two ex-officio members. Among the members will be two members who are Communication Center Managers for both rural and urban PSAPs, Public Safety Answering Points. Read AO 333 to see the full description of seats.

The Alaska 911 Advisory Board will review and provide Governor Dunleavy with recommendations on statewide and regional emergency communications efforts and will develop recommendations to improve public safety communications for 911 systems, including technical and staffing operations, 911 state funds, 911 system coordination, and more.

The Alaska 911 Advisory Board shall review available non-confidential information, including the reports/recommendations submitted by the 911 and Dispatch Consolidation Working Group from AO 320, among other duties. Within the first 12 months of this order the Board shall produce recommended revisions to State statutes to define a PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) and a PSAP Boundary (defined geographical area).The Board will provide recommendations to classify PSAP types in order to identify which PSAPs might be at higher risk for providing lower levels of service to citizens and identify grant opportunities for training.

The Order takes effect immediately, and the Board sunsets on Dec. 1, 2023. Here is how to apply for a seat on the Board.

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