KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Among legislation signed earlier this month by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is a bill that 911 dispatchers and telecommunication workers hope will improve their working conditions.
Parson was flanked by first responders during a bill signing ceremony last week in Springfield, Missouri, where he ceremoniously signed Senate Bill 24.
The bill clears the way for 911 dispatchers and telecommunication workers to be classified as first responders. Such a destination opens up additional resources that previously had only been available to more traditional first responder roles such as police, fire and emergency medical services.
.@GovParsonMO has ceremonially signed Senate Bill 24, which recognizes post-traumatic stress disorder as an occupational disease among firefighters & other first responders. This will make financial assistance available. SB24 also recognizes telecommunicators as first responders. pic.twitter.com/EBbRjCLdAb
— MO Div. of Fire Safety (@MoFireMarshal) July 27, 2023
On July 6, Zachary Dykes, president of the Missouri Chapters of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO), was joined by Jamie Taylor, president of the Missouri National Emergency Number Association, and Jeff Holman, president of the Missouri 911 Directors Association, in a letter applauding the bill’s signing.
“Let us be the first to say congratulations,” the letter offered to Missouri’s first responders. “This recognition is well deserved.”
Under the legislation, which is set to take effect Aug. 28, the position of “Public Safety Telecommunication” is eligible to access mental health services thanks to the creation of a mental health fund for first responders.
The bill also formally recognized post-traumatic stress disorder as an occupational disease for first responders. It also works to secure future funding for building out Next-Gen 911 service and other projects.
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In a report released last week, the National Emergency Number Association outlined the effects that burnout and increasing call volumes are having on 911 dispatcher employment rates.
“People are not coming to the job because of people turning away from wanting to have public safety careers,” Katrina Holmes, vice president and head of public safety at Carbyne and former director of the Office of Unified Communications in Washington, D.C., said last week. “But you add to that issues with lower pay, dealing with increased call volumes and people feeling burned out, and it becomes difficult to get people into the profession.”
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