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San Diego Association of Public Safety Dispatchers

By Laws of the
San Diego Association of Public Safety Dispatchers

I. SCOPE

  1. The San Diego Association of Public Safety Dispatchers, hereby referred to as APSD, will work in conjunction with existing law enforcement associations and resources to bring the needs and concerns specific to communications to the forefront. The APSD is an independent organization made up of fire and law enforcement communications center managers, supervisors, phone and radio dispatchers in San Diego County


II. PURPOSE

  1. A platform from which to plan, organize and implement dispatcher training for San Diego County law enforcement and fire agencies.

                i. While this training may be in conjunction with existing resources, the unique needs of local agencies are the APSD’s primary focus.

               ii. Sharing development and teaching responsibilities among agencies is strongly encouraged.

              iii. Developing classes that are not dependent upon size for effectiveness is a must.

              iv. Law enforcement training will be done in conjunction with the Training Managers Association.

      2. A conduit of information that facilitates the exchange of ideas and open dialogue between members.
      3. A forum for the analysis of technological advancements as they pertain to police and fire communications.
      4. A resource for communications administrators concerning policy development.
               i. Establish an avenue by which multi-jurisdictional incidents are handled with some degree of consistency.
      5. A means of influence to shape future department policies and decisions that will have a direct effect on communications staff.
      6. To share staffing and retention concerns and solutions.

III. MEMBERSHIP

  1. There is no membership of the APSD


IV. OFFICERS

  1. The Officers of the APSD shall be:

             i. President
            ii. Vice President
           iii. Secretary
           iv. Treasurer

      2. The duties of the President include:

            i. Presiding at all meetings of the APSD.
           ii. Exercising control of all Officers and operations of the APSD.
          iii. Appointing committees as needed for furtherance of APSD business.
      3. The duties of the Vice President shall be:
            i. Preside over all regular meetings of the APSD in the absence of the President.
           ii. To assume the position of President in the event the President is unable to continue his/her duties, for the duration of the unexpired term.
          iii. To act as a liaison between this Association and other associations whose business may have an impact on public safety communications.
          iv. As the Audit Committee Chair, the Vice President will audit the treasurer’s reports for the previous year and submit a written report at the January meeting

              of the APSD.
       4. The duties of the Secretary shall be:
            i. Taking minutes at all meetings of the APSD and distributing them to the members.
           ii. Maintaining a current roster of all members.
          iii. To collect membership dues.
          iv. Providing notice to all members of all regular meetings at least seven days prior to each meeting.
           v. To ensure the APSD webpage is maintained with current information.
       5. The duties of the Treasurer are:
            i. To maintain an accurate accounting of the collection and disbursement of all APSD funds and submit a written report at each regular meeting, which shall

               be included in the minutes of that meeting.
           ii. To schedule classes, prepare invoices and maintain course credit lists for agencies.

V. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  1. The Board of Directors shall be made up of the Officers of the APSD, which are comprised of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and no more than twenty Directors at Large.
  2. Each agency may have one Director at Large.

             i. Agency will be defined on a case by case basis by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
            ii. No more than one Director at Large may be elected from any agency.
      3. Any active or retired member of the San Diego County Public Safety Communications industry is eligible to serve on the Board of Directors.
      4. Board Members shall serve an indefinite term. To vacate a position, a Board Member may either resign their position or be removed from the Board (cf.

          Sections V-5 and V-7).
      5. Upon missing the third consecutive regularly scheduled meeting, a Director at Large may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of Board Members

          present.
      6. Officers of the APSD are expected to make Association business a priority. Upon missing the second consecutive regularly scheduled meeting, an Officer may be

          removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the Board Members present.
      7. Board Members may be removed by a majority vote of the Board, provided that the member being removed is given written notice of the cause of action at 

          least ten days prior to the vote.


VI. ELECTIONS

  1. When a vacancy occurs, nominations for election of new Board Members will be made by the remaining Board Members. The nominated candidates shall either accept or decline the nomination prior to the vote being taken.

      2. Board Members shall be elected by a majority of votes cast by remaining Board Members.
            i. Resigning Board Members may vote in their successor if their resignation date takes affect after the proposed vote.
           ii. Board Members who are removed from office may not vote on their successor.
      3. Board Members may be removed by a majority vote of the Board, provided that the member being removed is given written notice of the cause of action at

          least ten days prior to the vote.

VII. VOTING

  1. Each Board Member shall be entitled to one vote on issues before the APSD.

      2. A vote may be taken verbally, by a show of hands, or by secret ballot if requested by a majority of the Board Members present.
      3. When two or more Board Members request a roll call vote, the secretary shall call the roll and record the vote.
      4. A majority vote of Board Members present is required for a vote to be successfully carried.

VIII. CONDUCT of MEETINGS

  1. Meetings of members shall be presided over by the President of the APSD, or in his/her absence, by the Vice President of the APSD or, in his/her absence, by the Treasurer.

      2. Robert’s Rule of Order shall govern meetings.

IX.  BY-LAW AMENDMENTS

1. These By-laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of Board Members provided that 30 days notice be provided to all Board Members describing the amendment and its intended impact.