MISSION STATEMENT

This Committee supports the concept that it is in the public interest to reduce the time required for a citizen to request and receive emergency aid and to raise the level of competence of public safety and emergency telecommunicators who receive and disseminate calls to law enforcement, fire and medical emergency situations through standardized training and education. It is also this committees intent to support and pursue the legislative establishment of statewide training standards concurrent with national standards.

ARTICLE I

ALABAMA EMERGENCY TELLECOMMUNICATOR PERSONNEL AND TRAINING STANDARDS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

SECTION 1.           General Powers

                Under current statutes the Alabama Emergency Telecommunicator Personnel and Training  Standards Advisory Committee (hereinafter referred to as “Advisory Committee”) recognizes that it has no enforcement authority but acts merely as an advisory body to those entities desiring to follow the recommendations and or standards set by the Committee.

SECTION 2.           Number, Composition, Appointment and Terms of Committee Members

(1)     The Advisory Committee shall be composed of seven (7) members, each of whom must be a qualified elector of the state who is over the age of 18 years. Advisory Committee membership shall be composed as follows;

A.      The Alabama Chapter of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) shall designate two members to serve for a term of four years.

B.       The Alabama Chapter of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International (APCO) shall designate two members to serve for a term of four years.

C.       The Executive Director of the Alabama Fire Fighters' Personnel Standards and Education's Commission or his designee shall serve for a term of four years.

D.      The Executive Director of the Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training Commission or his designee shall serve for a term of four years.

E.       The Alabama Department of Public Health shall appoint one member to serve for a term of four years.

No two members serving on this committee shall be from the same county unless otherwise approved by a majority of the Advisory Committee. The members may adopt bylaws to govern the organization, its meetings and activities.

Terms of membership shall begin on October 4^, 2001

Upon expiration of the initial terms, all appointments shall be made in the same manner, and length of term.

The members of the Advisory Committee shall serve for the term for which they are appointed and shall continue to serve until their successors are appointed.

(1)     The Advisory Committee shall adopt guidelines governing times and places for meetings and governing the manner of conducting its business, but the Advisory Committee shall meet at least once every four (4) months. There must be four (4) or more members present to constitute a quorum.

SECTION 3.           Resignation, Removal of Members; Vacancies

                Any member of the Advisory Committee may resign at any time upon written notice to the Advisory Committee. The appropriate appointing authority shall immediately be petitioned to fill the vacancy.

                Where not inconsistent with the provisions of these bylaws and of any applicable laws, any member may be subject to recommended removal from office by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Advisory Committee at any regular meeting or at any special meeting whenever in the judgment of the Advisory Committee the best interests of the committee would be served.  The Chairman shall then inform the appointing authority of such vote for recommended removal.

In the event of such a vote for removal, the Chairman will then petition the appointing authority of that member for a replacement member as soon as is practical. Any replacement member so appointed shall serve for the remaining term of the member whose resignation or removal created such vacancy and until his successor is appointed.

SECTION 4.           Resignation, Removal of Officers; Vacancies

                Any Officer so elected may resign from his/her duties as an officer of the Advisory Committee at any time upon written notice to the Advisory Committee without prejudice to the rights to of membership to the Advisory Committee.

                Where not inconsistent with the provisions of these bylaws and of any applicable laws, any member may be removed from his/her duties as an officer by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Advisory Committee at any regular meeting or at any special meeting whenever in the judgment of the Advisory Committee the best interests of the committee would be served.

                In the case of a vacancy in any corporate office, the majority of committee members then in office shall elect an officer to fill the vacancy. An officer so elected shall hold office and serve until the next succeeding annual meeting and until the election of his/her successor.

SECTION 5.           Rules of Order

                Meetings of the Advisory Committee shall be conducted according to Roberts’ Rules of Order. However the Chairman may suspend or invoke the rules at any time without objection of any member. If an objection is made, the matter shall be put to a vote and a simple majority of those present and voting shall decide the issue.

ARTICLE II

OFFICERS

SECTION 1.           Officers

                The officers of the Advisory Committee shall be a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, and a Secretary elected by and from the membership of the Advisory Committee. Officers shall be elected at the annual meeting and shall serve for one (1) year, or until their successors are elected. There shall be no limit on the number of successive terms served by any person in an office.

SECTION 2.           Chairman

                The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Advisory Committee, except as otherwise authorized by official action of the Advisory Committee. The Chairman may create any ad hoc or temporary committee as s/he may deem necessary, from time to time, to carry out any affairs or business of the Advisory Committee. The term of existence and charge of each such committee shall be stated at the time of its establishment.

SECTION 3.           Vice Chairman

                The Vice Chairman shall perform the duties of the Chairman in the absence or incapacity of the Chairman; and, in case of the resignation or death of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman shall perform such duties as are imposed on the Chairman until such time as the Advisory Committee shall elect a new Chairman.

SECTION 4.           Secretary

                The Secretary shall maintain all official records of the Advisory Committee including without limitation, the minutes of the Advisory Committee. The Secretary may also perform such other duties as may be assigned, from time to time by the Advisory Committee.

ARTICLE III

MEETINGS

SECTION 1.           Annual Meeting

                The annual meeting will be held in October of each year.

                This meeting shall be held for the purpose of electing officers to the Advisory Committee and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the Advisory Committee.

SECTION 2.           Regular Meetings

                Regular meetings will occur as follows;

                The last Tuesday of February and May and concurrent with the AL NENA Conference in October.

SECTION 3.           Special Meetings

                The Chairman may, when s/he deems it expedient or upon written request of two (2) members of the Advisory Committee, call a special meeting of the Advisory Committee for the purpose of transacting any business designated in the call. The call for a special meeting may be delivered to each member of the Advisory Committee, or may be mailed or e-mailed to the home address, business address or e-mail address of each member at least two (2) days prior to the date of such special meeting. At such meeting, no business shall be considered other than that designated in the call, provided however, if all of the members of the Advisory Committee are present at a special meeting, any and all business may be transacted at such special meeting.

SECTION 4.           Quorum

                At all meetings of the Advisory Committee, a majority of the members of the Advisory Committee shall constitute a Quorum for the purposes of conducting business, provided that a smaller number may meet and adjourn to some other time or until a Quorum is obtained.

SECTION 5.           Manner of Voting

                The voting of all questions coming before the Advisory Committee shall be by roll call and the “Ayes” and “Nays” shall be entered upon the minutes of such meeting, except in the case of election of officers, when the voting shall be by written ballot. The Chairman shall have the right to vote on all questions and matters coming before the Advisory Committee and his/her vote shall be counted as any other member’s vote.

ARTICLE IV

Amendments

SECTION 1.           Amendments to the By-Laws

                The by-laws of the Advisory Committee may be amended or revised only with the approval of at least four (4) members of the Advisory Committee at a regular or special meeting, but no such amendment or revision shall be adopted without unanimous approval of the entire Advisory Committee membership unless seven (7) days of notice, and a copy of the intended change, has been previously given to all members of the Advisory Committee.

ARTICLE V

Referenced Documents

SECTION 1.           (Appendix 1)    Alabama Emergency Telecommunicator Minimum Standards

                The above document creating the Advisory Committee shall be used as a guide in conducting the business of the Advisory Committee.