Our History

A FL APCO Retirement Task Force was first created in 1992.  The goal of the task force was to promote a change in retirement requirements and benefits for public safety telecommunicators; to be similar or equal to other first responders. Several attempts for retirement legislation were made over the many years. 

Task force members were also central in writing rules that lead to the FL Emergency Medical Dispatch Act, requiring FL telecommunicators be certified to provide EMD when processing calls for emergency medical assistance.  

Members of the task force, along with members of the FL APCO training committee, created a public safety telecommunicator training curriculum, which was adopted by the Florida Department of Education in 1999. That curriculum is the basis for today’s mandated 232-hour FL PST curriculum framework. 

Even into the 2000’s, efforts were made to obtain retirement legislation. A PST retirement bill was eventually introduced during the 2007 FL legislative session. Legislators rejected the bill demanding that PSTs have training requirements like other first responders. FL APCO members then made several attempts to find an oversight sponsor for training and certification, including Department of Education, Department of Emergency Management, Department of Emergency Medical Services, Office of Technology, FL Sheriff’s Association, and the FDLE Training Center.  

The FL Chapter partnered with a lobbyist in 2007 and a PST training and certification bill was introduced during the 2008 legislative session. Shortly after the bill was introduced, the tragic kidnapping and murder of Denise Amber Lee occurred. Denise’s name was added to the 2008 Senate and House bills, and both successfully passed.  Training and certification oversight was assigned to the FL Department of Emergency Medical Services, mandating training and certification for all FL telecommunicators, effective October 1, 2012.  

The FL Chapter of APCO was established in 1944. 

We recognize the following Current and Past Presidents of Florida APCO

2021-2022 Vonda Jones

2019-2021 James Oehmke, RPL

2018-2019 Thomas Ciampi, RPL

2016-2018 Jacqi Yeager
2015-2016 Fran Self
2014-2015 Nancy Morris
2013-2014 Christine Hodges  
2012-2013 Joann Brown
2011-2012 Robert Jeffrey
2010-2011 Joann Brown
2009-2010 Ricky Rowell, RPL
2008-2009 Susan Pettingill
2007-2008 Lori Van Gilder  
2006-2007 Eddie Williams
2005-2006 Eddie Williams
2004-2005 Matt Stillwell
2003-2004 Debbie Gailbreath
2002-2003 Michael "Bo" Jones
2001-2002 Tom Sorely
2000-2001 Dick Nelson
1999-2000 Robin Schmidt
1998-1999 Barry Luke
1997-1998 Barry Luke
1996-1997 Natalie Duran
1995-1996 Vicky Pegram 

1994-1995 Debbie D'Orazio  
1993-1994 Nancy Dzoba  
1992-1993 Marilyn Ward/Nancy Dzoba   
1991-1992 Marilyn Ward   
1990-1991 Randall Kerr   
1989-1990 Della Shealy
1988-1989 Gil Lineberry
1987-1988 Hugh McCaffrey
1986-1987 Ernest Landreville
1985-1986 Douglas R. Dickinson
1984-1985 Joseph Y. Nasser
1983-1984 Charles T. Rahn
1982-1983 Barbara Devine
1981-1982 Ralph D. Day
1980-1981 Ralph D. Day
1979-1980 Don Whipple
1978-1979 William Reigner, Jr.
1977-1978 John Hawkins
1976-1977 Edward Holmes
1975-1976 Don L. Fox
1974-1975 Charles Hoffman
1973-1974 Perry Rogers
1972-1973 Bill Barker
1971-1972 J. H. Spence   
1970-1971 G.D. McKechine   
1969-1970 Tom Hancock  
1968-1969 Howard Black
1967-1968 D.D. Dull
1966-1967 Dick Clippand
1965-1966 Robert W. Graffe
1964-1965 W.E. Barker, Sr.
1963-1964 Stanley Hawkins   
1962-1963 Earl O. Burchard
1961-1962 Prescott Miller
1960-1961 Arthur Melvin
1958-1959 B.A. Everitt
1957-1958     
1956-1957     

1955-1956 J. Rhett McMillian   
1954-1955

1953-1954

1952-1953

1951-1952

1950-1951

1949-1950

1948-1949

1947-1948

1946-1947

1945-1946

1944-1945  Frank Walker