Safer Buildings Coalition names Alan Perdue as executive director

The Safer Buildings Coalition (SBC)—an organization seeking to improve in-building coverage for first-responder communications—today announced the hiring of public-safety veteran Alan Perdue as its executive director.

Perdue said he was attracted to the position by the importance of the SBC’s mission, which is seeking a “much-needed” solution to the issues created when public-safety personnel are unable to communicate within buildings and other structures, regardless of the type of technology they are using.

“I’ve seen firsthand the problems that happen when first responders roll up, and you can’t communicate in a building,” Perdue said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “If you look at many after-action reports for incidents, communication is mentioned in every one of them, so it’s a priority item for all public-safety responders to enhance their communications capabilities everywhere.”

Perdue brings to SBC more than 36 years of public service, beginning as a volunteer firefighter and progressing through the ranks to director of emergency services in Guilford County, N.C., according to an SBC press release. Perdue is a credentialed chief fire officer and fire marshal, serving on several state and national committees, including his role as international director for the Fire and Life Safety Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC).

Given this public-safety background, Perdue was an ideal choice to be SBC’s executive director, according to Seth Buechley, president of in-building solution provider SOLiD Technologies and the founding member of SBC.

“Public safety is in SOLiD’s DNA, and we are proud to demonstrate our commitment as a founding member of the Safer Buildings Coalition,” Buechley said in a statement. “With Alan at the helm, we are confident SBC will have tremendous impact as an unwavering advocate for reliable indoor public-safety communications.”

Perdue said one of his top priorities is to help SBC engage the key partners and stakeholders necessary to make the organization’s goal of in-building communications for first responders a reality—a vision that is supported by Chief Jeff Johnson (Ret.), the CEO of the Western Fire Chiefs Association and past president of the IAFC.

“We owe a great deal to our first responders and public-safety officials,” Johnson said in statement. “The Safer Building Coalition is meeting that commitment by developing a roadmap and solutions to ensure in-building radio coverage is available during an emergency.”