HB1676--TELECOMMUNICATOR FIRSTRESPONDERS
SPONSOR: Perkins
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPass"bytheStandingCommitteeon
PublicSafetybyavoteof6to0.
Thisbilladds"telecommunicator firstresponders"tothe
definitionoffirstresponders,andauthorizeseachpolitical
subdivisiontoelecttocovertelecommunicator firstrespondersas
publicsafetypersonnelofthesystem.Trainingrequirementsfor
telecommunicators arespecifiedinthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatdispatchingisthemostdifficult
andcomplicatedjobinemergencyservices. Youhavetomultitask
inwaysnoothershaveto.Itaddstelecommunicator first
responderstothedefinitionoffirstresponders. Dispatchersare
thefirstpartofthechainofanemergencyresponse. Iftheydo
notdotheirjobsefficientlyandcorrectly,therecanbedrastic
results. Therearemanylevelsofstressthattheyendureonthese
calls,alotofitisnotknowing. Theygetthebestandmost
informationtheycanandleaveittotheresponders. Emergency911
dispatchersareCPRtrainedsotheycangiveCPRinstructionsover
thephone.Theyarevitallyimportant. Thisbillwouldbring
recognitionforthedispatchersbuttheywouldbringother
benefits,too,likeassistancetheywouldgetinemergency
responses,whichiscurrentlyavailableonlytootherfirst
responders. Dispatcherslovethe12-hourshift,formanyreasons,
includingthefactthattheygettoworkwith“their”officers,who
work12-hourshifts.Itisreallyimportantandbeneficialfor
dispatcherstogettoknowtheirofficersandgetfamiliarwith
them.Thelegislationdoesnotmandateanycostchangesforthe
municipalities, butitdoesencouragethemtolookatincreasing
wagesforretention,etc,butthereisnothingmandatingit.
TestifyingforthebillwereRepresentative Perkins;JasonBruck;
MichaelKindle;PaulE.JokerstIII;Missouri911ServiceBoards;
Mo911DirectorsAssociation;JRWebb,MissouriAssociationof
AssociationofPublicSafetyCommunications Officials;andJamie
Taylor,MissouriNationalEmergencyNumberAssociation.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsubmittedtheirtestimonyin
writing,whichcanbefoundonline.
TestifyingagainstthebillwasArnieC.Dienoff.
OTHERS:Otherstestifyingonthebillsubmittedtheirtestimonyin
writing,whichcanbefoundonline. TestifyingonthebillwasJohnSpooner.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonycanbefoundunderTestimonyonthebillpageon
theHousewebsite.