From the transition to the latest generations of networks to revised rules on emergency communications in the European Union, emergency services are confronted with many changes. In this opening session, we will review today’s technological and regulatory challenges and reflect on how we can anticipate these changes and benefit from the opportunities they present.
Speakers to be announced
The wide deployment of AML in Europe has considerably improved over the past years the accuracy of the caller location information provided to PSAPs. However, improvements are still to be made, in the context of new regulatory requirements on Member States to adopt caller location criteria. This session aims at reviewing the current challenges and discussing the evolution of handset-derived and network-based caller location technologies.
Chaired by Fiona Lee, Consultant
Handset-derived location (1hr mins)
Presentation by EENA (10 mins)
Additional presentation (10 mins)
Discussion panel with:
A representative of Apple (confirmed)
A representative of Google (to be confirmed)
A representative of National Telecom Regulatory Authority (to be confirmed)
Topics to be discussed: handset-derived location criteria, SIP, roaming, error rates/reporting, MSISDN, enforcement of criteria, vertical & indoor location (40 mins)
Network-based location (20 mins)
Complementing AML with sub-cell network location: a necessary and readily available path to highly accurate, reliable and fast caller location
Consultative technical leader with over 30+ years’ experience with CSPs, enterprises and governments. He has designed, developed and implemented complex Public Safety and Security solutions. He is currently leader of the field product division at SS8 and is passionate about introducing next generation solutions that help make societies safer.
The Living Lab project aimed to experiment technological solutions, such as video communication with emergency services to improve the effectiveness of prevention and rescue actions in emergency situations and to create the conditions for a « first aid » community made up of citizens and practitioners from the Geneva Hospitals’ Urgences Santé 144. It has also adapted a specific methodology known as the « living-lab » to bring together and collaborate practitioners (doctors, operators, first responders and ambulance drivers) and citizens. The project is based on the assumption that the creation of a local community enables or improves digital trust and collaboration between citizens and practitioners.
In this session we will present the main results of the project, and mainly the contributions of video in remote call taking and guidance and the creation of a local community of citizen rescuers.
Caroline Rizza is an Associate Prof. in Information and Communication Sciences at I3-Telecom Paris (UMR 9217), IP-Paris. She focuses on the digital competences of actors in emergencies: how citizens’ initiatives, fostered by digital technology, modify the relationships between public, private and citizen actors. She has been the scientific coordinator of research projects: the ANR MACIV, the project “Social media during the Covid-19 crisis” (MESRI), Piloter l’innovation NexSIS-18-112 (IHEMI), Combiner numérique et living-lab pour un citoyen secouriste (Fondation MAIF), the “social media and crisis management” CNRS thematic school. She is the president of the ISCRAM community “Information system for crisis response and management” since 2019 and has contributed to the Mission on modernization of risk culture in France (2021, Ministry of Ecological Transition) and to the SAPEA working group « Strategic Crisis Management in EU » (2022).
Ophélie Morand holds a PhD in Ergonomic Psychology. Her area of expertise focuses on the study of ICT impact on human activity in various fields (companies, emergency management). She mainly uses qualitative and participative approaches (forum theater, living lab) with the purpose of understanding current activity and eventually trigger a transformation of practices perceived as problematic by the participants.
Dr. Robert Larribau, MD, is a specialist in life-threatening emergencies. He has completed post-graduate training in intensive care medicine, internal medicine and advanced training in hospital and pre-hospital emergency medicine. Since 2009, Robert Larribau is the Medical Director of the Geneva Emergency Medical Communication Centre and since 2019, also Deputy Head of the Emergency Department of the Geneva University Hospitals. In addition to his clinical supervision of the emergency medical services and the emergency department, Robert Larribau teaches students at the Geneva Medical School and in post-graduate training in emergency medicine. Dr. Robert Larribau has an important scientific research activity focused on the management of cardiopulmonary arrest, vascular emergencies, as well as on emergency medical dispatch, and more broadly on the modelling of patient care processes in the emergency context.
Description to be added
Early use of an AED in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests significantly increases the chances of survival. The mapping of AEDs enables first responders to quickly locate the nearest one. In this session, we look at the findings from research activities regarding ways to improve AED placement and the experience of countries sharing data in one AED registry.
Chaired by Stephen Hines, Clinical Tutor, London Ambulance Service NHS Trust (United Kingdom)
How to improve automated external defibrillator placement for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests
Fabrice Dami, Medical director, Lausanne emergency dispatch (Switzerland)
Are first responders first? The rally to the suspected Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
David Fredman, Operations manager, Heartrunner Sweden AB
International AED database – breaking down the borders of Austro-Hungarian Empire
Dr. Gábor Csató, Director, Országos Mentőszolgálat (Hungary) & Sophia Gebath-Wicho, Emergency Communication & Coordination Centre of Lower Austria (Austria)
Fabrice Dami is a Senior emergency physician at the Lausanne University hospital center. He is a Specialist in Emergency medicine and a medical director of Lausanne medical dispatch. He holds an MBA.
David is co-founder and Operations Manager of Heartrunner Sweden AB. With a background in medicine and research, David has an interest in exploring methods to save lives in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with early intervention. He’s been involved in several clinical trials and was one of the driving forces behind setting up the Swedish National AED registry in 2009. David holds a PhD in medicine from Karolinska Institutet, Sweden and the topic for the thesis was optimal location for AED installation and logistics to increase AED use. With his background in medicine and science David’s role in Heartrunner has led to close connections with international researchers. And today Heartrunner provide a system for alerting volunteer responders in suspected cardiac arrest with a lifesaving track record with over 285.000 users.
Dr. Gábor Csató received his medical degree in 2007 at University of Debrecen. He worked for the National Ambulance Service between 2002-2009 in the Northern Great Plain Region as a paramedic, ambulance officer and then physician. Anaesthesiologist and intensive care resident, later at Kenézy Hospital, Debrecen between 2007-2014. Since 2009, he has been developing his professional skills abroad, has been participated in the medical staff of a number of private and public health institutions and hospitals in England, and has been involved in coordinating several European Union projects. Between 2014-2017 he was working as an anaesthesiologist and intensive care specialist at the Buda Health Centre and the National Centre for Spinal Medicine. He has been leading the National Ambulance Service since January 2017, in January 2020 he has received another five-year mandate. In the spring of 2017 he earned an MSc in Health Management from his alma mater. Married, father of two children.
Sophia is a multicultural individual with a passion for emergency management and healthcare which stems from years living in China, partially during the Szechuan Earthquake. She then moved to Canada, where she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Disaster and Emergency Management. Upon returning to her home country of Austria she continued her education by earning a Master of Science in Emergency Healthcare Management. She began her career at Notruf NÖ in 2015 as a Calltaker, where she quickly rose through the ranks to be a Dispatcher and part of the Quality Management team before moving on to become an assistant in the new department: Channelmanagement. In her current role, Sophia is committed to utilizing her skills and experience to make a positive impact in the emergency management and healthcare industry.
Innovative technologies are enabling contextual data to be presented to call takers to help inform decision making in the PSAP. As more situational awareness data becomes available from connected device companies and platforms, how do we ensure that it is being delivered and presented in a way that avoids information overload and, instead, empowers call takers by positively impacting workflows, increasing situational awareness and increasing the efficiency of end-to-end operations?
Join us to hear from RapidSOS, a company who has partnered with global technology companies across the security, connected vehicle, personal safety and healthcare industries to deliver accurate and relevant data to thousands of PSAPs.
Edward Parkinson has over a decade of experience in public policy and public safety communications. Currently, he serves as President of Public Sector for RapidSOS, an intelligent safety platform company connecting over 500 million devices to 911 and leveraged by 95% of the 911 emergency call centers in the United States. He has served in this role since May 2022.
France is currently implementing a public warning system which relies on both cell broadcast and location-based SMS. In this session, we will hear about the technical and operational aspects of the implementation but also how both technologies are being used today.
Chaired by Benoit Vivier, Public Affairs Director, EENA
As experienced telecoms and data professional, Charlotte joined Intersec in 2010 after working for a few years for a major mobile network operator. She headed up corporate marketing before opening the West African office in Ivory Coast. Back at headquarters, Charlotte was in charge of innovations for the public sector such as location intelligence for smart cities. In 2018, she joined Oracle as a big data & analytics specialist for the public sector and participated in intrapreneurial projects in data mobility. In 2022, Charlotte returns to Intersec to lead the company’s public safety value proposition.
Johnny Douvinet is Professor of Geography at Avignon University, in south of France. He managed several research projects on the spatial, social and territorial impacts of alert and warnings on population, in France and in other countries (Australia, Belgium, United States and Indonesia) since 2018. In 2022, he had the chance to coordinate a multidisciplinary project team to support the authorities and the French Ministry of the Interior during numerous alerting exercises, involving the population with the new multi-channel warning platform FR-Alert, in place since June 2022.)
The fact that a good call-taking protocol is needed isn’t really debated anymore. But how can we come up with a good multidisciplinary question tree that respects every discipline’s specificity ? In this session, you’ll hear from those who have built such protocols and on how they successfully led a project to produce them.
Chaired by Kadi Luht-Kallas, Adviser, Rescue and Safety Oversight Policy Department, Ministry of the Interior (Estonia)
Antti Romsi is a senior specialist in Emergency Response Centre Agency Finland. He has participated extensively in the information system reform and he worked as an Emergency Response Centre System Administrator when the new ERICA system was introduced in Finland in 2018-2019. Currently he is working hard to develop the features and functionalities of the system further.
Every year, the EENA Conference brings you the latest status of NG112 deployments by highlighting certain projects that are planned or in progress across Europe and where presenters share their insights and experiences on their respective NG112 journeys. In this session we will feature a recently approved project, a work in progress and a fully deployed NG112 solution with a focus on benefits perceived or already realised.
Vitor Judícibus has been leading since 2014, the Critical Communications Multidisciplinary Team (EMCC), a cross-functional IT team notably responsible for outlining the 112 technological vision, implementing the 112 technological strategies defined by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, ensuring that the technological resources meet the 112 operational needs. He led and supervised the deployment of a new 112 PSAP tech architecture, during 2015 – 2019, merging and consolidating eleven regional PSAPs formerly spread across the country districts into just two 112 state-of-the-art operational centres. Over the last four years his team also conducted the successful implementation of relevant projects like eCall, 112 App for Deaf , Advanced Mobile Location, and the technological update of the 112 PSAPs at the Autonomous Regions of Madeira and Azores. He is currently responsible for leading the deployment of the NG112 project in Portugal.
Beat is a Senior Project Manager and Management Consultant. He developed the 2G/3G emergency call localisation solution in 2004 and the NG112 design for implementation with VoIP in Switzerland in 2021. He is driven by the continuous improvement of emergency call localisation and enjoys the exciting collaboration with the emergency services, authorities, operators and the many specialists.
Gregor Gysi is deputy head of the emergency call center and responsible for technical matters. He is driven by bringing people, processes and technology together. As a representative of the PSAPs in Switzerland, he is actively involved in the further development of the emergency call system in Switzerland.
Like in other sectors, many PSAPs are currently facing a high number of resignations and have therefore to deal with difficult conditions to hire and train their staff. In this session, you will hear general views on the underlying reasons for the great resignation and, specifically from an emergency services perspective, best practices on how to cope with this challenge. Hopefully, you will also participate in the conversation!
Chaired by Dr. Michelle Lilly, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, Northern Illinois University (United States)
Michaela Pehrström, HR strategist and business partner. Joined SOS Alarm in October 2019 and have been working within HR, operations and productions related business for more than 10 years. With a passion for people, tools and tech working together, she continuously develops and implement the most modern tools for leaders, candidates and people in the organization. She believes that the people drives the results, that’s why she ongoing working to give the right possibilities all for leaders to reach the business targets and to get the best results on team and at every level. The last year have we moved forward with an extremely positive transformation, e.g. our eNPS has been increased with more than 25 points and more than 95% of our employees are proud to work at the company.
Georgiana-Cristina has been with the Special Telecommunications Service Romania since 2010. She is a former 112 call-taker, currently responsible for call-takers training and providing continuous operational support.
Every year, special achievements result in a better protection of the citizens. The 112 Awards Ceremony will recognise and reward some emergency services and citizens for their outstanding contribution to public safety.
From navigation to mapping, satellite solutions have had a major impact on our daily lives. In this session, you will hear about how such solutions can also help emergency services save lives.
Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite – speaker to be announced, Apple
Amélie Grangeat is a Senior Product Manager and Expert on Public warning Systems at F24 and expert at the International Telecommunications Union. She has implemented the Belgium Public Warning System called Be-Alert. She advises several European Governments and Institutions to build their public alerting strategy. She is also an expert at the International Telecommunication Union – a Branch of the United Nations – to help countries develop their resilience strategy. P.h.D since 2016 on the topic of Crisis Management and Resilience of Critical Infrastructures, she regularly shares her experience through international conferences.
At last year’s conference, Rudolf van der Berg brought to our attention an issue where European roamers could not access emergency services while roaming. This turned out to be an interoperability issue between networks and handsets which is exacerbated when the visited networks have shutdown 2G and 3G services. EENA advocated intensively for a swift and permanent resolution to the issue given the very serious consequences it could have on continuity of emergency communication in Europe. In today’s session, we will provide a recap on the issues and discuss recent developments aimed at providing a lasting resolution with representatives of MNOs, MVNOs handset providers and standardisation experts.
Chaired by Greg Rohde, President, eCopernicus
Speakers to be announced
Either because they had the skills internally or because they couldn’t find the product they wanted on the market, some emergency services have decided to develop their own software. In this session, presenters will take us on their journey of trying to build software to meet their needs, what went well and what went wrong, as well as the pros and cons. Emergency services and private company representatives alike should be keen on attending this session.
Chaired by Gregor Jänin, Owner, DispoNet
Bernhard Wintersperger is the head of quality management for EMS operations und training at the Styrian Regional Branch of the Austrian Red Cross. The Austrian Red Cross Regional Branch Styria is the largest EMS provider in the Austrian state Styria and also operates the emergency dispatch center for EMS operations. Bernhard has worked as a paramedic and emergency call taker before moving into quality management. Because of his technical background he regularly works on software projects within the organization.
Mr. Chaim Rafalowski Director General Office, Disaster Management and EU projects coordinator Magen David Adom, Israel About the Role Mr. Chaim Rafalowski is a Disaster Management Coordinator of Magen David Adom in Israel (Magen David Adom – MDA, is the national Emergency Medical Services – EMS provider for Israel, National Blood Bank and National Society member of the International Red Cross Movement). Mr. Rafalowski holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from Tel-Aviv University. Fields of Responsibility MDA participation in EU R&D funded projects, international cooperation projects, deployment of MDA personnel as part of international response to disasters, and preparedness to large scale disasters and coordination with the International Red Cross Movement. Serves as an active team member in MDA ambulances and dispatch centers, as well as a national duty operations officer, then responsible of monitoring MDA daily as well as emergency operations. In charge of several international projects, dealing with capacity building of ambulance services around the globe. Professional Highlights Before assuming the position of MDA DM coordinator, served as a senior First Aid and Emergency Medicine Instructor (1988-1992), then as the Emergency Management and CBRN (Chemical, Biological, and Radiological – Nuclear) preparedness officer of MDA, a position he held until 2010. During this period served as member of several national steering committees in Israel and was in charge of MDA preparedness and response to large scale emergencies. Expert in Societal Security served as evaluator for FP7 EC R&D program, and member of the Advisory Board to DG Industry and Enterprise. Coordinated the participation of MDA in 7 large R&D projects funded by the EC. Was part of the team who developed MDA Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) protocol and reviewed it several times, as well was involved in the response and evaluation of many emergency operations. As member of the operations division, played a key role in development of the 1st version of MDA C4I system and future developments as well as different training programs for staff and volunteers.
Description to be added
The EAA requires access to emergency services for end-users with disabilities to be “functionally equivalent” to a regular call to 112 and sets a requirement for the implementation of Real-time Text (RTT) by June 2027. In this session we will examine some RTT implementation plans and projects and consider what a functionally equivalent Real-time Text service looks like.
Chaired by Wolfgang Kampichler, co-chair of the EENA Tech & Ops Committee
Mick has 10 years experience in running of PSAPs. This followed a career in the general management and planning & design of ISPs, network providers and telcos. He holds a primary degree in Computer Science and Masters in Business Administration; Telecoms Engineering; and in Electrical & Electronic Engineering.
For years, we’ve been talking about sending public warning alerts via telephone networks. If this should remain the channel, other ways to send alerts must also be considered. In this session, we will hear about how to use a proper multi-channel public warning system in the most efficient way.
Presentation title to be announced – Patrick van der Linden, Services Manager NL-Alert, Police (Netherlands)
Presentation title to be announced – Everbridge
Session chair and additional speakers to be announced
Using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) to support the handling of emergency communications was a taboo until a few years ago when some emergency services started to use it in their operations. Panellists in this session will present some examples of how IVR are used in some countries and will exchange their feedback on whether it has helped authorities meet their objective.
Session chair to be announced
I started my career at Digital Equipment, where VMSclusters made me grow a special interest for business continuity requirements. With fourteen years of experience in clustering and project management, I began working as a technical solution manager at IBM Strategic Outsourcing, which I did for seven years. After a short intermezzo as an operations consultant at Microsoft, I joined Smals, one of the larger ICT employers in the Belgian market providing ICT services for the Belgian social sector, again in the outsourcing business. Since 2013, Smals has delegated me to the Ministry of the Interior as project manager. My first task was to replace old telephony infrastructure by a new centralized VoIP-based solution for the emergency call centers 112. Currently, we are finishing another large project, where we are regrouping ten provincial PSAPs into one virtual PSAP.
Mihail-Florin has been with the Special Telecommunications Service Romania since 2003, working on various IT&C projects for public administration. Since 2018, he is the Head of the 112 Unit, where they are constantly focused on providing high quality emergency services for all citizens. Together with his team, they work closely with all relevant stakeholders to ensure faster and better access to 112 and to increase the efficiency of emergency management from both technical and operational point of view, as well as from a legal standpoint. He is currently involved in the implementation of the NG 112 hardware and software modernization project at national level.
Liana-Emilia has been with the Special Telecommunications Service Romania since 2009. She is a former 112 call-taker, currently working on optimizing and improving 112 activities from an operational standpoint.
Description to be added
NG112 rollout is gathering pace with several projects in progress or in the pipeline. In Europe, regulatory obligations and technology evolution are the key drivers. In North America, where the NG market is more mature, attention is turning to resolving some more complex issues such as ESInet interconnection and cybersecurity. In this session you will hear about the latest next generation developments from across the pond.
Chaired by Michael Pröstler, CEO, GridGears & Vice-Chair, Tech & Ops Committee, EENA
Brooks Shannon began his career in 9-1-1 over 19 years ago as a software engineer, developing call center and mobile mapping applications, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data management tools, and Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) core services. Most recently, he was Vice President of GIS at RapidDeploy, responsible for geospatial features, functionality, and strategy across the company’s suite of products. At NENA, as Interoperability Program Manager, Brooks oversees several initiatives vital to the success of NG9-1-1. He provides support to the NG9-1-1 Interoperability Oversight Commission, the independent oversight governance body for the NG9-1-1 Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Forest Guide, two services that enable interoperable, secure NG9-1-1 communications in North America and beyond. He remains committed to the development of standards-based, interoperable systems that make the promise of NG9-1-1 a reality.
Newcomers to this industry are often shocked by how little data is actually shared among organisations. This session gives the floor to public authority representatives who, through the development of projects and procedures to foster better coordination, have gone beyond the usual “we can’t share data with other organisations because it’s complicated”.
Chaired by Kaili Tamm, EENA Board Member
Manager of the NUE 112 Complex Structure in the Piedmont Region, member of the Ministry of the Interior advisory commission for the implementation of the single European Emergency Number 112.Director of the health professions, member of the state-regions conference of the advisory commission pursuant to art. 75 bis Legislative Decree 259\2003 regarding the creation of nue 112, consultant at the Piedmont region health department in the planning sector of health and social health services, member of the regional technical commission for the regulation of relations between regional health companies and associations volunteering to carry out emergency medical transport and other transport activities.
Mihail-Florin has been with the Special Telecommunications Service Romania since 2003, working on various IT&C projects for public administration. Since 2018, he is the Head of the 112 Unit, where they are constantly focused on providing high quality emergency services for all citizens. Together with his team, they work closely with all relevant stakeholders to ensure faster and better access to 112 and to increase the efficiency of emergency management from both technical and operational point of view, as well as from a legal standpoint. He is currently involved in the implementation of the NG 112 hardware and software modernization project at national level.
Liana-Emilia has been with the Special Telecommunications Service Romania since 2009. She is a former 112 call-taker, currently working on optimizing and improving 112 activities from an operational standpoint.
The Horizon 2020 funding mechanism has fostered the development of a myriad of innovative technologies, perspectives, and strategies to improve emergency management and enhance the involvement of citizens in this process. This session aims to highlight a few of these, and will focus on important issues such as raising awareness, enhancing preparedness, and facilitating communication to citizens.
Session chair to be announced
Rémy Bossu is an experienced seismologist and the head of the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC). Rémy has always been interested by topics at the interface between earthquake and society. After studying seismicity induced by human activities and seismic hazard assessment, he has been pioneering citizen seismology and developed expertise in the use of social media in emergency situations. Under his leadership, EMSC become one of the top global earthquake information centre and has been developing a unique system called LastQuake. Based on visual communication, LastQuake is a multichannel information system comprising websites, quakebots on Twitter and Telegram, and a smartphone app for massive and rapid crowdsourcing of earthquake’ effects and the reduction of global seismic risk. In addition, Rémy has been in charge of the implementation of the French tsunami warning centre.
Francesco Graziani works as a Programme Manager for the Emergency Unit of Save the Children Italy. He is an enthusiastic humanitarian worker with experience on emergency management and child protection. He holds Masters in International Relations and in Human Rights and Conflict Management, and worked for the past 7 years in humanitarian missions across East Africa (Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan) and the Middle East (Lebanon) focusing on protection programs for communities affected by conflicts and natural disasters. He is convinced that a more child centered approach should be applied in disaster risk management, and hopes that his work could represent a small contribution in stimulating and reinforcing mechanisms for better protection and participation of minors in emergency management.
David is known for bringing a distinctive human lens to his work in the international crisis and disaster sector. His interest in this perspective developed during his previous career as an officer in the UK Fire and Rescue Service (FRS), where he led a pioneering study of human behaviour and motivation. The results of which continue to be influential on global thinking and practice. His final role in the FRS was as its first ever Customer Experience Manager. He has since established himself as an award winning and progressive advisor, author, presenter, and entrepreneur. Whether working in the commercial, civic, or emergency sector, David advocates for an authentically human approach to service and experience design. The importance of which is becoming increasingly recognised.
TPSPs provide a vital function in providing assistance to a group of customers, organisations or individuals in circumstances where conventional means of access to emergency services may not work or would not be appropriate. In this session we will hear about the challenges and opportunities in developing effective PSAP-TPSP partnerships and discuss the processes and procedures needed to underpin effective operations.
Session chair to be announced
Karin Marquez is the Chief Public Safety Brand Officer for RapidSOS. She transitioned to the private sector after spending 21 years in 9-1-1 in Colorado. For the last five years at RapidSOS, she has seen incredible transition in the industry. From struggling with location accuracy to working with a company delivering device based location and additional data from many consumer devices we count on every day. Working with emergency communication centers across the US, she has been involved in the roll out, and adoption of the RapidSOS platform and helped in growing the RapidSOS public safety team. Karin spends her time speaking to various audiences educating, learning, and supporting the various transitions of 9-1-1, from voice to data, working with the industry to drive 9-1-1 into the future. She currently serves as the Private Sector Director for NENA, the 9-1-1 Association, just another way to serve the industry that means so much to her.
Ronnie Riedl is a dedicated publIc safety professional with over 20 years of experience in emergency servIces. He began his career in 1999 as a volunteer paramedic wIth the Red Cross and has since worked to serve the communIty. In 2001, he joined the company « Notruf Niederösterreich » where he worked for over 15 years, serving as a sIte manager responsible for staff, cooperation with external providers, and emergency physician servIces. Ronnie is committed to improving cooperation wIth external Partners and finding solutions for web services In public safety answerIng poInts.
Description to be added
Chaired by Paul Bremner, Principal Research Analyst – Public Safety & Critical Communications, Omdia
Charlotte was at first active in research. When transferring into industry, Charlotte was product manager and technical team leader in public transport. Since 2013, she has been with Frequentis AG, where she has been driving critical communication applications in the public safety domain as product manager. 2018, Charlotte has become new business development manager and leading mission critical broadband communication in Frequentis. In recent years, Charlotte has also been participating in and contributing actively to diverse TCCA and GCF working groups. Since June 2021, Charlotte has been elected as Chair of Technical Committee of Public Safety Communication Europe (PSCE) Forum. Charlotte has been active in the public safety domain for more than nine years, driving innovation but also focusing on building resilient and sustainable solutions for the specific demands in Public Safety, especially on the European market.
Academic researchers will present their latest work in the area of public safety. Join us to find out the present and future of research in the emergency services field.
112-based eCall has been mandatory for new car models for more than 5 years. In this session we will hear about the evolution of eCall to its Next Generation based on IP. We will be able to know more about NG eCall and how to implement it.
Chaired by Cristina Lumbreras, Technical Director, EENA
With the rising prices of oil and with the need to reduce gas emissions, electric car sales are booming across Europe. Firefighters and ambulance services are facing new challenges: how to deal with electricity in case of accidents? How to deal with super hot batteries? Electric vehicles are also more and more used by emergency services themselves: do they represent a viable alternative to thermic vehicles? How to deal with the need for regular and quick charging?
Chaired by Demetrios Pyrros, President, EENA
Sven has worked with ICT solutions for control rooms since 2000 and with the introduction of TETRA in Norway since 2005. He has been with the Norwegian Directorate of Health, Department of preparedness & emergency medical services since 2011 with a focus on pre-hospital services nationally. He has a particular interest in cooperation between the police, fire and health and issues that include both operational and ICT-related aspects. In the last year, more time has been spent on the next generation of emergency networks.
Jim Lanier, ENP, MPA has been involved in public safety for nearly 40 years with experience in firefighting, EMS and 9-1-1, and public safety executive leadership. Jim also has extensive experience with project management, procurement, governmental liaison, fiscal oversight, emergency management, statutory affairs, and business management. He has an operational and technical understanding of public safety technology infrastructure (including legacy and NG911/i3) and associated software and hardware. Jim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Emergency Management, has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, and is a NENA Emergency Number Professional (ENP). Jim is proud to lead OnStar’s Public Safety Engagement Team.
Join emergency services from countries across the world and get a comprehensive understanding of their structure, challenges and innovations when it comes to handling emergency communications.
Chair to be announced
Francisco Echeverría is an Emergency Services Specialist and Fire Officer, with a PhD in Engineering and 35 years experience working for the Regional Government of Navarra (Spain). He represents the Professional Association of Firefighters of Spain (APTB) in the Federation of European Fire Officers (FEU). He set up and ran the Emergency Services Training Centre of Navarra and the Galician Emergency Agency (AXEGA) and worked as the Director of the Public Company Pompiers d’Aran – TESVA in Catalonia. He currently works with the Government of the Canary Islands as a member of the Group of Experts and the Technical Committee in the design of the Essential Services Buildings (ESE) of the Canary Islands that will house the emergency services and their management centers. He is also a member of the Observatory for the Prevention of Risks and Accidents of Spain (OPRA).
Kriangsak Pintatham has experience in overseeing emergency medical dispatch center in Chiang Rai Province and in the development of protocol systems in emergency medical calls and notifications in Thailand.
Session description to be announced
Session chair and additional speaker to be announced
Andrew has over 20 years as a CIO of various UK and international public safety organisations, before joining Huawei to advise customers on how to undertake digital transformations enabled by technology. Andrew now works across the globe with mostly government-level agencies, to help those that protect the public ensure they both plan for, and achieve, the maximum benefit from new investments in technology – by considering how people and process changes can be enabled by technology. He is a passionate advocate of making data work harder.
False calls, lack of staff, rude callers… Specific communications can be used to address some of the problems emergency services are facing. In this session, speakers will present different examples on how communication and transparency can help public safety organisations achieve their goals.
Chaired by Iratxe Gomez, EENA Tech & Ops Committee Vice-Chair
Staffan Ekengren is the Communications Director SOS Alarm Sweden since 2020, responsible for media relations, internal communication, brand, editorial channels, marketing communication and public affairs. He has an extensive background as communications expert and manager from various companies and industries, such as the global vehicle producer Scania and the Swedish grocery store chain ICA. He is also a former journalist and editor, both in national and local newspapers. Additionnally, he is an author of non-fictions books in the field of communication.
Boštjan Tavčar graduated on the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Ljubljana. Since 1994, he has been employed at the Ministry of Defence, in the Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Protection and Disaster Relief. In recent years, he was the head of the Information Centre of the Republic of Slovenia. Since October 2019, he has been leading the IT and Communications Department. He is responsible for the development and operation of information and communication systems and services, emergency number 112 and information centres in the field of protection against natural and other disasters. He is also the author of the emergency call application for the deaf and hard of hearing, WAP112, which was the predecessor or the first application of the next generation emergency call NG112. In 2009, the application received an award given by the European association EENA. He initiated the introduction of the eCall system in Slovenia, and actively participated in the development of the Slovenian solution. He participated in many European projects, including U2010, MONET, ABSOLUTE, HeERO, NEXES and others. He is a member of the European Club 112.
Join emergency services from countries across the world and get a comprehensive understanding of their structure, challenges and innovations when it comes to handling emergency communications.
Chaired by Stephen Hines, Clinical Tutor, London Ambulance Service NHS Trust (United Kingdom)
Speaker to be announced
Join us and colleagues from all over the world for a memorable evening. This is a not to be missed opportunity where you can also enjoy a standing dinner in a special venue in Ljubljana, and have a fun interactive quiz with your peers. More information to be provided soon.
Everywhere we look there is new technology being used for emergency response. Now is the time to pay careful attention to how we communicate around these technologies or we risk harming public trust. In this talk, Dr. Keri Stephens will share examples of the pivotal role that human decisions play when preparing and executing emergency communication. You will walk away with ideas and best practices to help you face the ever-changing technology landscape.
Keri K. Stephens, PhD, is a Professor in Organizational Communication Technology, a Distinguished Teaching Professor, Co-Director of Technology, Information, & Policy Institute, in the Moody College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin. Her research program examines the role of technology in organizational practices and organizing processes, especially in contexts of crisis, disaster, and health. She has authored over 100 articles appearing in research journals, proceedings, and books, and her two most recent books are the national-level, award-winning book New Media in Times of Crisis (2019, Routledge), and the two-time, national-level, award-winning book Negotiating Control: Organizations and Mobile Communication (2018, Oxford University Press). Prior to academia, she used her BS in biochemistry degree and worked in the fields of environmental chemistry, biopharmaceutical analysis, and laboratory robotics.
PSAP employees play a crucial role in emergency response, providing initial triage and dispatching of resources to those in need. However, the constant exposure to traumatic and distressing events, coupled with long shifts and shift rotations, can take a toll on their emotional and psychological well-being. This session will provide valuable insights into the challenges faced by PSAP employees and offer practical strategies for protecting their emotional and psychological well-being. Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of recognising the signs of anxiety and stress so that early interventions can be made to deal with those. The role of leadership in prioritising and providing adequate resources to support mental health and to create a supportive and resilient workplace culture will also be discussed.
Chair: Emily Hough, Editor Emeritus, Crisis Response Journal & EENA Board Member
Dr. Michelle Lilly, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, Northern Illinois University (United States)
Dr. Michelle Lilly is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at Northern Illinois University (NIU). Throughout her career, Dr. Lilly has studied the psychological and physical impact of violence and trauma. In 2010, she became involved in research with 9-1-1 telecommunicators and has continued to focus on this understudied population. Dr. Lilly’s research on mental and physical health in the 9-1-1 industry has been used to argue for job reclassification for 9-1-1 telecommunicators across the nation. She has done trainings across the United States on the topics of PTSD, stress management, and resilience for a variety of public safety and corporate audiences. She is also the owner of Lilly Counseling and Consultation, an organization that provides evidence-based intervention for PTSD, depression, and anxiety, as well as organizational assessment and consultation.
Session description to be added
Panellists to be announced
Technology trends and user preferences are driving the need for the transition to packet-switched technologies in the macro environment for electronic communications. Accordingly, there is a growing need to upgrade PSAP infrastructure so that they can quickly and efficiently receive and process all types of emergency communications and contextual data. The drivers for change are not only technical but also regulatory. In the EU for example, Member States must submit roadmaps for the transitioning of their PSAPs to packet-switched technologies to the European Commission by 5 December 2023. This session will examine the challenges and strategies for transitioning PSAPs to packet-switched technologies, including the need for reliable and resilient networks, cybersecurity concerns, and training requirements for call takers.
Panelists to be announced
In this session, the audience will get the chance to vote on the topics that were most relevant during the Conference and to help EENA plan for future events. It is an interactive session, which is always popular with attendees. Participants will vote online from their smartphone or tablet.
Gary joined EENA in October 2006. He is responsible for the strategic development of the association and administrator of the EENA Board. Over the years, he led the creation of several successful EENA membership platforms, committees and events. He is in charge of government affairs and he managed a number of advocacy campaigns in Brussels. Gary holds a MA in European Affairs from the Political Science Institute of Strasbourg and a BA in Economics from the University of Orléans and the Abertay University in Dundee. A Europe-trotter, he studied or worked in Belgium, France, Ireland, Spain, Poland and the UK. He is a French national, also fluent in English (spiced up with some little basics of Spanish and Polish).
Benoît joined the team in September 2015 and is in charge of EENA’s public affairs work. He is EENA’s liaison with the institutions of the European Union as well as other stakeholders, and works on increasing the awareness of the European emergency number 112 in Europe.
Benoit is also working on dedicated EENA programmes, including leading the file of emergency location and Advanced Mobile Location. Benoît has graduated in European Affairs from the College of Europe in Bruges; before that, he studied in Sciences Po Lille. He also spent one year abroad in Gothenburg (Sweden) as an erasmus student. Benoît is a Belgian national and speaks French, English, Spanish and Swedish.
Site editor: EENA asbl
Director of Publication: Dr Demetrios Pyrros
