Emergency Management Act.
The state's Emergency Management Act establishes a comprehensive program of emergency management in the state, which is administered by the Military Department under the direction of the state's Adjutant General. As part of the emergency management program, the Adjutant General, through the state Enhanced 911 (E-911) Coordinator, must coordinate and facilitate implementation and operation of a statewide E-911 emergency communications network. Enhanced-911 is a service that automatically displays the telephone number and physical location of a 911 caller.
E-911 Coordination Office.
The E-911 Coordinator is the head of the E-911 Coordination Office (Coordination Office), which is established in the Emergency Management Division of the Military Department. Duties of the Coordination Office include:
E-911 Advisory Committee.
The Advisory Committee advises and assists the E-911 Coordinator in coordinating and facilitating the implementation and operation of E-911 throughout the state. The Advisory Committee members represent diverse geographical areas of the state and include a variety of public safety professionals, state and local government officials, and telecommunications providers.
E-911 Account.
All receipts from the state E-911 excise taxes must be deposited into the E-911 Account (911 Account). Moneys in the account may only be used for certain purposes including: to support the statewide coordination and management of the E-911 system; for the implementation of wireless E-911 statewide; for the modernization of E-911 emergency communications systems statewide; and to help supplement, within available funds, the operational costs of the system.
Public Safety Answering Points.
Washington has Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) that cover all counties within the state. Each primary PSAP is connected to the statewide network, which delivers location information of the 911 caller as well as other data needed. The Coordination Office, in collaboration with the Advisory Committee, offers training to public safety telecommunicators working in PSAPs through the 911 Telecommunicator Training Program.
The E-911 Coordination Office is renamed the 911 Coordination Office (Coordination Office). References to E-911 are revised to refer to 911 in the context of the duties of the 911 Coordination Office.
A Certification Board (Board) is established in the Coordination Office to create a certification and training program for public safety telecommunicators throughout the state.
The duties of the Board include:
The Board must represent diverse stakeholders of the 911 system. The Board must consist of the following volunteer members:
The Coordination Office is required to provide staff support and assistance to the Board including, but not limited to:
(In support) This bill creates standardized training and a certification process for 911 dispatchers in the state. All dispatchers should have the same minimum training requirements, so 911 centers know what they are getting when they hire dispatchers. This bill will help the state identify dispatchers and help support them. Public safety telecommunicators are the only public safety professionals in the state not required to be certified and not receiving standardized training. Training is very important to ensure that all calls are handled consistently throughout the state. Public safety telecommunicators get training and support, but it is not always the same across the state. Training standards should not be patchwork. Other states have minimum standards or certification requirements in place. Public safety response is continually evolving, with new technologies, police reforms, and other changes such as the 988 system. California has a certification program in place, and compliance was easily managed. Local agencies that have internal training can certify their training programs and continue to use those. This bill is important to the 911 community. This bill would bring long overdue recognition to public safety professionals that work diligently while facing trauma. The work only begins with passage of this bill; the Certification Board's duties will impact how the 911 system develops. The Certification Board would be comprised of knowledgeable representatives. Public safety telecommunicators should not be thought of as clerical workers. Public safety telecommunicators face stress, lack of sleep, trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout. The lives of firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical technicians rely on the skills and competence of public safety telecommunicators. The public safety system is only as strong as the weakest link. Public safety telecommunicators are a vital link in the public safety system. There is a shortage of dispatchers, and training and professionalism will help bring more applicants who want to be a part of a professional career that is given value by their communities. This bill will help with recruitment and retention.
(Opposed) None.
(Other) The 911 system is a technically complex system in Washington. Even with improving technology, the most important factor impacting how 911 calls are handled is the skill of the public safety telecommunicators. In these instances, dispatchers are handling complex situations with minimal information, and they must rely on their training and professionalism. Dispatchers have to remain calm and multitask in very stressful situations. Dispatchers have to learn how to use continually upgrading systems, such as text 911. Consistent training is very important to public safety telecommunicators and to the system as a whole.