APCO serves government functions that provide public safety communications services in areas of law enforcement, forestry, conservation, fire, highway maintenance, emergency rescue and medical services, emergency management, and other activities supported or endorsed by federal, state, local and tribal governments.
The Annual Conference and Expo, held every year beginning in 1935, brings together public safety telecommunicators, vendors, instructors and industry leaders.
[7] Public Safety Communications magazine is an official APCO publication for emergency communications center personnel that includes features on comm center operations, regulatory issues, and technical topics; analysis of new procedures, technology and products; association and industry news; and commentary.
[8] In addition, APCO's Comm Center and 9-1-1 Services department provide resources and research on a wide array of topics, including 9-1-1 public outreach, advanced automatic crash notification (AACN) and vehicular emergency data set (VEDS), automated secure alarm protocol (ASAP), computer-assisted dispatch (CAD), human resources for professional communications, next-generation communications systems, FirstNet, wireless location accuracy and more.
[9] The Public Safety Foundation of America (PSFA), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was established in January 2002 by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International (APCO).
The PSFA's objective is to provide critical funding and technical support to public safety answering points (PSAPs) and local emergency response officials.