WA APCO-NENA
WA APCO-NENA is a Washington State nonprofit professional association, jointly chartered by APCO International and NENA, that represents public safety communications professionals through advocacy, training, an annual conference, and regulatory engagement including workforce certification standards.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1944
- HeadquartersBremerton, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What WA APCO-NENA does
WA APCO-NENA is a Washington State-based 501(c) nonprofit professional membership association representing public safety communications professionals, including PSAP directors, telecommunicators, supervisors, and trainers. The organization operates as the unified state chapter of both APCO International and NENA, formed in 2017 through the merger of the previously separate Washington APCO and NENA chapters; its lineage traces back to 1944 when it was established as the Northwest Chapter of APCO. It is headquartered in Bremerton, WA, and serves the Washington State 9-1-1 and emergency communications workforce through advocacy, training, certification support, and community convening.
The organization's core activities include an annual conference drawing 150+ attendees and up to 50 vendor/exhibitor booths, member-driven governance (with electronic voting adopted in 2017), regulatory and legislative advocacy, and partnership with APCO International and NENA at the national level. In 2022, the organization supported the passage of Washington Senate Bill 5555, which established a Telecommunicator Certification Board with statewide authority over 9-1-1 workforce standards — embedding the association into the state's regulatory framework for emergency communications personnel.
Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of membership dues (priced on a tiered basis for individual professionals), conference registration fees, vendor sponsorships and exhibitor booth sales, and donations. There is no proprietary technology product; the value proposition is the community, advocacy, and credentialing ecosystem itself rather than a software or hardware offering.
WA APCO-NENA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WA APCO-NENA
- Legal name
- Washington Chapter of APCO-NENA
- Website
- https://waapconena.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1944
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- WA APCO-NENA is a Washington State nonprofit professional association, jointly chartered by APCO International and NENA, that represents public safety communications professionals through advocacy, training, an annual conference, and regulatory engagement including workforce certification standards.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where WA APCO-NENA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bremerton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
WA APCO-NENA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from individual public safety communications professionals and agency/organizational members. Members receive access to resources, communications, voting rights, and member communications.
- Conference and Event Registration: Registration fees for annual Fall Conference, CAMP911 wellness retreats, training forums, and other educational events. Pricing varies by event and includes full conference passes, single-day tickets, and meal-only options.
- Vendor Sponsorships and Exhibitor Fees: Industry partners and vendors pay to exhibit at conferences through various sponsorship tiers (Booth Only, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond) ranging from $600 to $7,500. Sponsorships include booth space on vendor floor and premium visibility throughout events.
- Donations to Sunshine Fund: The Molly Elliott Sunshine Fund accepts donations ($5-$1,000) to provide financial assistance for public safety communication professionals experiencing qualifying personal events affecting them or immediate family members.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | 2026 Fall Conference Full Registration |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | CAMP911 Wellness Retreat |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Industry Partner/Vendor Sponsorship Tiers |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Sunshine Fund Donations |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
WA APCO-NENA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WA APCO-NENA is a nonprofit professional membership association that serves as the unified Washington State chapter of APCO International and NENA, providing training, conferences, advocacy, certification support, and member services for 9-1-1 telecommunicators and public safety communications professionals. The organization delivers professional development through annual conferences, wellness retreats, regional training forums, scholarships, and member assistance programs while representing the profession in state legislative and regulatory matters.
Product overview
WA APCO-NENA is a professional membership organization serving Washington State's public safety communications professionals. Rather than a unified software product, the organization offers a portfolio of member services including annual conferences (Fall Conference), wellness retreats (CAMP911), professional development training forums, the Washington State TERT emergency response program, scholarship funds (Dick Quantz and Duncan Stewart Scholarships), the Sunshine Fund for member assistance, and a chapter awards program. These services support 9-1-1 telecommunicators, supervisors, trainers, and technology professionals through training, recognition, peer support, and wellness initiatives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Professional Membership Annual membership for individual public safety communications professionals and agencies providing access to chapter resources, advocacy, training, networking, certification support, and voting rights. Members include 9-1-1 telecommunicators, PSAP directors, supervisors, trainers, and commercial partners in Washington State.
- Fall Conference
Companies that use WA APCO-NENA
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
WA APCO-NENA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
WA APCO-NENA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Washington State Legislature / State 911 Coordination OfficecoreSSB-5555 became effective in 2022, creating the Telecommunicator Certification Board, requiring minimum training and state certification, and acknowledging telecommunications as first responders. Chapter maintains connection to State 911 Advisory Committee.
- NENA International (National Emergency Number Association)coreWA APCO-NENA is the combined Washington State Chapter representing both APCO and NENA since 1996. NENA is the only non-profit professional organization solely focused on 9-1-1 operations, technology, education, and policy issues, representing tens of thousands of 9-1-1 first responders.
- APCO International (Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials)coreWA APCO-NENA is the Washington State Chapter of APCO International, an international leader committed to providing complete public safety communications expertise, professional development, technical assistance, advocacy and outreach. The chapter maintains APCO Executive Council representation and follows APCO constitution and bylaws.
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)minorSix Washington State PSAPs have achieved NCMEC 9-1-1 Call Center Partner status, demonstrating commitment to protecting children through completing NCMEC requirements.
- Other State TERT ProgramsminorWashington State TERT maintains connections with TERT programs across the nation including National TERT, Florida, Texas, Oregon, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, Colorado, Alabama, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma for mutual aid coordination.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights3 records
WA APCO-NENA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC): Professional membership association for fire and emergency service chiefs. Operates a similar member-services and conference-driven model serving an adjacent public safety segment.
- International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM): Professional association for emergency management professionals. While focused on EM rather than telecommunicators, it shares the professional-association operating model (membership, certification, conference, advocacy) for a closely adjacent public safety audience.
- APCO International: The national/international parent organization of which WA APCO-NENA is the Washington State chapter. APCO provides overarching standards, certification (CPE, RPL, Agency Training Program), and advocacy; direct functional overlap but operates at a much broader geographic and operational scale.
- NENA: National Emergency Number Association, the other parent body for WA APCO-NENA. NENA issues the ENP certification and focuses on 911 operations, technology, education, and policy — directly comparable mission and member base, but operating nationally rather than at the state-chapter level.
- International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP): Broader public safety professional association serving law enforcement leadership. While focused on chiefs/police rather than telecommunicators, it is comparable as a large, mature professional association model with conferences, certification, and government affairs.
Regional players
- Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials - International Atlantic Chapter: APCO regional chapter covering mid-Atlantic states; provides a comparable chapter-level peer model for understanding how APCO chapters structure training, advocacy, and member services.
- Florida APCO Chapter: Florida state APCO chapter providing comparable training, advocacy, and networking services to Florida PSAPs. Similar in scope and structure, operating in a different geographic territory.
- California APCO/NENA Chapter (CALNENA): Another combined APCO-NENA state chapter model with similar structure, conference programming, certification support, and advocacy role for California PSAPs. Closest structural peer given dual-affiliation model, though serving a different state.
- Texas APCO Chapter: State-level APCO chapter serving Texas public safety communications professionals. Comparable in mission, member structure, and conference-driven programming, though it does not have the dual NENA affiliation model.
Others
- NCMEC (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children): While not a peer association, NCMEC is a strategic ecosystem partner — six Washington PSAPs affiliated with WA APCO-NENA have earned NCMEC 9-1-1 Call Center Partner status. Comparable as a stakeholder in the public safety communications training and certification ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WA APCO-NENA social profiles
Digital presenceWA APCO-NENA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WA APCO-NENA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
WA APCO-NENA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WA APCO-NENA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WA APCO-NENA
What does WA APCO-NENA do?
WA APCO-NENA is a nonprofit professional membership association that serves as the unified Washington State chapter of APCO International and NENA, providing training, conferences, advocacy, certification support, and member services for 9-1-1 telecommunicators and public safety communications professionals. The organization delivers professional development through annual conferences, wellness retreats, regional training forums, scholarships, and member assistance programs while representing the profession in state legislative and regulatory matters.
Is WA APCO-NENA a public or private company?
WA APCO-NENA is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was WA APCO-NENA founded?
WA APCO-NENA was founded in 1944. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is WA APCO-NENA based?
WA APCO-NENA is headquartered in Bremerton, United States, in the North America region.
How does WA APCO-NENA make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are conference and Event Registration, vendor Sponsorships and Exhibitor Fees and donations to Sunshine Fund.
Who are WA APCO-NENA's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), APCO International, NENA and International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). Regional players are Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials - International Atlantic Chapter, Florida APCO Chapter, California APCO/NENA Chapter (CALNENA) and Texas APCO Chapter. NCMEC (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children) is listed as an others.
Does WA APCO-NENA have an API?
No public API is recorded for WA APCO-NENA.