Definitions:

PSAP - Public Safety Answering Point 

Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) is a call center responsible for answering calls to an emergency telephone number for police, firefighting, and ambulance services.

CAD - Computer Aided Dispatch

OSSI CAD system is used to enter and track all calls for service. The system provides dispatchers with apparatus recommendations for responses, GIS mapping, automatic vehicle locator (AVL) information, and links to mobile data terminals (MDT) in the field.  It is the primary repository for incident related information.

Associations:

APCO - Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials

APCO International is the world's largest organization dedicated to public safety communications. This organization has been around since 1935.

NENA - National Emergency Number Association

The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) is an organization whose mission it is to foster the technological advancement, availability, and implementation of a universal emergency telephone number system. One of NENA's main functions is to grade the quality of the 9-1-1 (the Universal Emergency Number since 1968) services that exist throughout the United States of America.  

CALEA - Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies

The CALEA Public Safety Communications Accreditation Program provides a communications center, or the communications unit of a public safety agency, with a process to systemically review and internally assess its operations and procedures. Since the first CALEA Communication Accreditation Award was granted in 1999, the program has become the primary method for a communications agency to voluntarily demonstrate its commitment to excellence. The standards upon which the Public Safety Communications Accreditation Program is based reflect the current thinking and experience of public safety communications executives and accreditation experts. APCO International (Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International, Inc.), the leading communications membership association, was a partner in the development of CALEA’s Standards for Public Safety Communications Agencies© and its Accreditation Program. This relationship continues today as APCO recognizes the achievements of CALEA Accredited Public Safety Communications agencies and supports accreditation.