Federal legislation would reclassify 9-1-1 dispatchers as first responders

In introducing the Supporting Accurate Views of Emergency Services (SAVES) Act this week, U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Norma Torres (D-CA) sought to reclassify 9-1-1 dispatchers as first responders.

Otherwise, the bill would not change anything about these dispatchers’ work or the roles they serve. In that sense, it’s a matter of changing definitions and, in the lawmakers’ views, giving dispatchers the credit they’re due.

“When Americans are experiencing the worst, most life-threatening moments of their lives, 9-1-1 dispatchers answer the call – they are true first responders,” Torres said. “My 9-1-1 SAVES Act provides a simple fix to reclassify 9-1-1 professionals as first responders and honor these brave men and women for their work. As a former 9-1-1 dispatcher for over 17 years, I know this small change would mean a great deal to dispatchers and urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join us in finally giving 9-1-1 professionals the recognition they earn every day.”

It’s been backed by groups like APCO International and Transform911 along with numerous fire, police and public safety organizations, which support characterizing 9-1-1 professionals as protective workers, rather than clerical ones. For these groups, the current classification of dispatchers undersells the work they perform.

“Public Safety telecommunicators play a critical role in emergency response as the initial first responder in any crisis situation,” Fitzpatrick said. “The thousands of operators and dispatchers work tirelessly everyday to coordinate public safety, police, fire, and ambulance units and to keep our communities safe.”

Currently, the U.S. employs more than 100,000 9-1-1 professionals. Supporters emphasized that, if passed, the bill’s change of designation would not cost anything to taxpayers, but merely provide a commonsense relabeling.

“The federal government currently classifies 911 professionals as a ‘clerical’ function. This classification is grossly inaccurate and demoralizes both the workforce specifically and the industry more broadly,” S. Rebecca Neusteter, executive director of the University of Chicago Health Lab and principal investigator for Transform911, said. “911 professionals are managing incredibly stressful situations, giving lifesaving instructions, using a vast amount of technology, and managing complex public safety units in the field.”