Reps. Norma Torres (D-CA), Robin Kelly (D-IL), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) recently introduced a bill that focuses on addressing 9-1-1 call-taker and dispatcher health and wellness concerns.
The Providing Resources and Occupational Training for Emotional Crisis and Trauma (PROTECT) 911 Act includes several measures to advance health and wellness for 9-1-1 professionals.
“As a former 9-1-1 dispatcher for over 17 years, I know firsthand that the demands of the job are immense and how difficult it is for dispatchers to ask for help,” Torres said. “Dispatchers help the public in their most vulnerable moments, and the PROTECT 911 Act can do the same for the telecommunicator community. These grant programs for behavioral health and wellness programs will help save lives.”
Bill provisions include developing best practices to identify, prevent, and treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in public safety telecommunications, developing resources to help mental health professionals better treat emergency personnel, and establishing grants for health and wellness programs in emergency communications centers.
“Too often, the mental health and well-being of our 9-1-1 operators and dispatchers is treated as an afterthought, if addressed at all, even as they encounter distressing and desperate situations as a necessary part of their job,” Kelly said. “Emergency operators often encounter violent, disturbing situations, all while trying to determine how best to help in the situation and communicate vital information to the person on the other end of the line. We need to ensure that the folks taking our most urgent calls are able to take care of themselves.”