Seybold Accrues Awards for Contributions to Public Safety Communications
On May 15, he was honored by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International with the APCO Special Partnership Recognition Award for contributions to the Public Safety Community. On June 10, 2012, he will be one of two persons honored by the National Sheriff’s Association when he will be presented with the NSA’s Presidents Award. In recent months, Seybold also received the APCO Presidents Award and the Radio Club of America’s Sarnoff Citation, RCA’s highest award for contributions to wireless communications.
“Andy has, for many years, tirelessly worked on behalf of the Public Safety Community in obtaining the much needed broadband spectrum for Public Safety,” said Chief Harlin McEwen, Chairman and CEO of the Public Safety Spectrum Trust and Chairman of the Communications & Technology Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). “The bill authorizing this new radio spectrum was signed into law in February, and Andy played a key role in assisting Public Safety in obtaining not only the spectrum but also the funding to help build this first ever nationwide Public Safety network.”
Sheriff Paul H. Fitzgerald, Sheriff of Story County, Iowa and President of the National Sheriffs’ Association, said: “Having Andy on our team as we worked with the Administration, Congress, and the FCC was one of the keys to our success. He contributed his technical knowledge and expertise and helped those in decision-making roles understand how critical this spectrum and funding is to the Public Safety Community.”
Sheriff Bill Brown, Santa Barbara County, California, added: “Andy was indefatigable in working to obtain essential broadband spectrum for Public Safety use. His extraordinary knowledge of the subject and his skillful advocacy were instrumental in convincing lawmakers to craft and pass — and the President to sign — landmark legislation that takes a huge step forward in standardizing and improving Public Safety communications nationwide. We are particularly proud that a member of the Santa Barbara community played such a key role in this successful process.”
“I am deeply honored to receive these prestigious awards,” Seybold said. “I was one member of a team of dedicated Public Safety professionals, each of whom helped move this issue to the point where Congress acted on it and the Administration signed it into law. It was a team effort and I enjoyed being part of the team. Nevertheless, there is much work remaining to be done to make this network a reality, and the Public Safety Community has re-dedicated itself to making it happen as quickly as possible. Enabling Public Safety with high-speed data and video capabilities built on a mission-critical network will save lives and property, and ensure the safety of those who respond to emergencies every day.”
Seybold is CEO and Principal Consultant for Andrew Seybold, Inc., a wireless industry consultancy that presents educational sessions, contributes articles to many publications, and provides wireless consulting services to the Public Safety and commercial wireless industries on an international basis. He is also active in the Santa Barbara community as a member of the technical committee for the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club (SBARC), and as President of the Santa Barbara Telecommunications Advisory Council (SBTAC), a non-profit corporation established to assist other non-profits and educational organizations with planning and implementing their own communications networks.