Brooks T. Shannon, ENP

Director of Emergency Communications Solutions

Esri

Candidate for At-Large [Odd Year Term]

Candidate Statement:

I am honored to be considered for an At-Large Director position and would welcome the opportunity to serve the Safer Buildings Coalition and its members.

SBC is at its strongest when it brings together people who understand different parts of the same life-safety challenge: manufacturers, distributors, integrators, consultants, technology providers, public safety professionals, building and school leaders, standards organizations, and policymakers. My career has been built at the intersections among these communities, particularly where 9-1-1, first responder communications, indoor location, indoor mapping, interoperability, and public policy meet.

That perspective is grounded not only in standards and policy, but also in the practical work of building, implementing, commercializing, and supporting public safety technology. I have developed software, implemented systems in 9-1-1 centers, trained users, led product and GIS strategy, managed global teams, and worked with technology and channel partners to bring solutions to market. Those experiences have taught me how decisions made in standards bodies, boardrooms, and legislatures ultimately affect product roadmaps, partnerships, deployments, customers, and the people who depend on these systems.

Through SBC’s School Safety Work Group and Legislative Subcommittee, I have seen firsthand the influence the Coalition can have when member expertise is translated into clear, vendor-neutral policy. On Capitol Hill, I have been proud to represent SBC in advancing Alyssa’s Act and helping policymakers understand the need for reliable communications, actionable location information, interoperable indoor maps, and solutions that can be implemented at scale.

As an At-Large Director, I would bring a complementary emergency communications and GIS perspective to the Board, with a commitment to member-driven outcomes that benefit the entire SBC ecosystem. I would connect legislation, codes, standards, and emerging technologies with the realities members face in designing, manufacturing, integrating, deploying, and supporting life-safety systems.

I would also help SBC deepen its engagement with the 9-1-1, GIS, school safety, and government communities; bring new organizations and voices into the Coalition; and strengthen collaboration among industry, public safety, building stakeholders, and policymakers. Together, we can expand SBC’s reach and turn the expertise and commitment of its members into measurable improvements in public safety that keep people safer and more secure indoors.

I would be honored to earn your support.

Brooks T. Shannon, ENP

Bio:

Brooks Shannon, ENP, is Director of Emergency Communications Solutions at Esri, where he supports the global emergency communications community and helps agencies and technology partners apply GIS, indoor mapping, and spatial analysis to improve emergency response. He began his public-safety career more than 22 years ago as a software engineer developing GIS applications for 9-1-1, later led product management for a cloud-native computer-aided dispatch, mapping, and analytics provider, and subsequently managed technical interoperability programs at NENA: The 9-1-1 Association.

Since 2008, Brooks has helped create and advance standards and best practices for NG9-1-1 and 112 through NENA, APCO, EENA, ETSI, and other organizations. He currently co-chairs two NENA working groups, serves as vice-chair of the EENA Tech & Ops Committee, and is a member of the Make Our Schools Safe advisory board. Within the Safer Buildings Coalition, Brooks is an active member of the School Safety Work Group and its Legislative Subcommittee, representing SBC in federal advocacy for Alyssa’s Act and related policies that improve in-building communications, indoor mapping, and emergency response.