Kevin McGinnis, FirstNet, Presents Award to Harlin McEwen

Chief McEwen served on the Steering Committee of the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee (PSWAC) and as a member of the Steering Committee of the FCC Public Safety National Coordinating Committee (NCC). In November 2000, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, at their Annual Conference in San Diego honored Chief McEwen by presenting him with the first IACP Lone Star Distinguished Award in recognition of his exemplary service to the IACP for over 22 years as Chairman of the IACP Communications & Technology Committee. He is a Life Member and Honorary President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He is also a Life Member of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO), and the National Sheriffs’ Association.

He is a Fellow in the Radio Club of America (RCA) and in 2006 was honored by being named the first recipient of the RCA/NPSTC Richard DeMello Award for his many contributions to public safety communications. In 2007, Chief McEwen was elected Chairman of the Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST), a not-for-profit corporation consisting of representatives of fifteen national public safety organizations who began the effort to obtain the 700 MHz Public Safety Broadband License (PSBL) for public safety which is now held by FirstNet. Chief McEwen is currently the Chairman of the Public Safety Advisory Committee of FirstNet.