April 2, 2007, Washington, DC - The National Joint TERT Initiative (NJTI) has completed the Model Recommendations for TERT Deployment (MRTD).  The MRTD is in draft form and open for comment

The NJTI is a joint effort of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) dedicated to the development of a nationally recognized certification program for telecommunicator mutual aid response in the aftermath of disasters, providing information as to operational deployment of Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce (TERT) programs and taking a leadership role in assisting governmental agencies in the development of TERT style programs at the regional, state and local levels.

This document is provided to assist Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) and governing 9-1-1 authorities with the information required for developing, training, equipping and deploying a standardized TERT team. TERT is the concept of communications-specific mutual aid between PSAPs to provide trained PSAP personnel during emergency situations.

To view the document, please visit www.NJTI-TERT.org.  Please submit all comments or suggestions to the NJTI Co-Chairs at NJTIChairs@NJTI-TERT.org by May 2.

About APCO International The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to the enhancement of public safety communications.  APCO International serves the professional needs of its 15,000 members worldwide by creating a platform for setting professional standards, addressing professional issues and providing education, products and services for people who manage, operate, maintain and supply the communications systems used by police, fire and emergency medical dispatch agencies throughout the world.  For more information, visit www.apcointl.org.