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Conferences

1991: The first annual conference after some discussion landed in Gulf Shores, where it has stayed. The conference was dedicated to establishing 9-1-1 service for all of the citizens of the state of Alabama.

Some of the issues covered in the conference were:

  • 9-1-1 boards, responsibilities, liabilities & organization
  • 9-1-1 database, creation, maintenance & improvement
  • Addressing, the ins and outs
  • Financial considerations, developing budgets & bids
  • TDD communications
  • SOP for 9-1-1
  • Employee training

There were 28 companies demonstrating their products and 98 members in attendance.

1992: Sessions covered in the second annual conference included:

  • what's new in 9-1-1
  • creating and maintaining 9-1-1 databases
  • achieving 100% database accuracy
  • reducing liability exposure
  • selection & training of 9-1-1 managers & dispatchers
  • GIS & computer mapping
  • preparing a request for proposal
  • review of new 9-1-1 legislation
  • avoiding negligence in the communications center

There were 33 vendors in attendance and 150 registered attendees & their guests.

1993: The conference was billed as the Gulf Coast Regional NENA Conference in 1993. The conference featured 22 sessions ranging from addressing issues to designing a communications center. The conference closed with just over 400 total in attendance, including 256 attendees, 50 spouses/guests and 100 exhibitors. Since NENA membership was offered as part of the registration, 40 people joined NENA in conjunction with the conference. A post conference survey showed 80% of the sessions were rated good to excellent, but the big winner was the ever-popular shrimp boil which rated a 94% good to excellent vote.

1994: While 1993 was hard to top, the conference continued to grow educationally in 1994. There were 35 sessions scheduled for the conference, including special sessions for board members. There were 170 registered attendees and their guests and while it was not billed as a regional conference, there were still many attendees from outside Alabama. They included 2 from Arkansas, 13 from Georgia, 7 from Louisiana, 10 from Tennessee, 5 from Florida, 6 from Mississippi, 3 from Kentucky and one each from North Carolina and Texas. The conference also added 30 new NENA members.

1995: The 1995 conference featured over 30 educational session offering "something for every level of experience and interest," with special sessions again included for board members. The conference would feature something new this year. The organizers established an official conference resource room which could be used by anyone needing a place to meet. Vendors and session providers were also encouraged to use the room to leave printed materials for attendees unable to make their sessions.

Despite rain and bad weather more than 170 attendees registered for the conference and, once again, turned out to be a regional conference with people from Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi, Kentucky, North Carolina and Texas joining NENA members from Alabama.

1996: Scheduling conflicts prevented the 1996 conference from beginning at the end of the annual shrimp festival, the traditional time for the conference. In addition to the normal sessions, three general sessions were included at the 1996 conference. They were, outsourcing the Bellsouth database, utilizing the power of the Internet, and 9-1-1 and the public service commission. The vendor hall was full again last year with 36 companies represented.