By Dave Paul / For The Herald
Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community.
That’s why as members of the House Community and Economic Development Committee, we’ve been working alongside local leaders, law enforcement, business owners and communities of color to improve public safety throughout Washington state.
A big part of that work is passing bills in our committee that will meaningfully improve public safety for years to come. One of those bills, Senate Bill 5555, creates a certification and training program for 911 operators; the very first responders in our communities.
No matter where you are when calling 911 for help, the response should always be the same. But because our state doesn’t have a standard certification or training process for 911 operators, calls across the state are sometimes handled differently.
911 operators are the last public safety employees in Washington who are not certified at a statewide level. This bill will standardize their training and make recruiting and retaining 911 operators easier, in turn addressing the shortage of qualified operators.
It’s shocking that 911 operators are treated as clerical positions in our state, and it’s beyond time to recognize them as first responders; because that’s exactly what they are.
They have helped panicked residents caught in floodwaters. They have walked family members through CPR until medical help arrives. And they have been on the line with people who passed away while fellow first responders raced to the scene to provide medical care.
There’s no doubt that 911 operators face significant trauma while serving our communities. We’ve heard many heart-wrenching, harrowing stories about their work.
Senate Bill 5555 will bring together experts to create best practices for hiring, retaining and supporting these critical first responders. The bill will also give 911 operators the training and tools they need to best help the public in times of crisis, making our communities safer.
Another public safety bill, House Bill 1703, which has now passed by House and Senate, will modernize the 911 emergency system and help counties with developing regional approaches to handling emergency calls. Additionally, the legislation helps organize our state’s efforts to coordinate 911 calls with the new 988 behavioral health emergency system that will be implemented later this year.
This new 988 emergency phone number is another line that people will be able to call for behavioral health crises. Similar to 911, the 988 number will connect callers to suicide prevention resources, crisis services and mental health professionals.
We commend the dedication of our first responder community, from 911 operators and emergency medical technicians, to paramedics, firefighters, police officers and others. Thank you.
These two bills will go a long way toward improving public safety in our state so families and small businesses can thrive. We’ll keep advocating for them to become law.
Rep. Dave Paul, D-Oak Harbor, is joined in support of these bills by Reps. Brandy Donaghy, D-Everett; Rep. Alicia Rule, D-Blaine; Rep. Jamila Taylor, D-Federal Way; Rep. Jesse Johnson, D-Federal Way; Rep. Noel Frame, D-Seattle; and Rep. Cindy Ryu, D-Shoreline; who serve on the House Community and Economic Development Committee.
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