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Bill to recognize 911 telecommunicators as first responders sparks legal and drafting questions
Summary
Senate Bill 2296 would add public safety telecommunicators (911 dispatchers) to the statutory definition of first responders. Supporters said recognition is needed for parity in benefits and mental-health supports; lawmakers sought edits to avoid unintended regulatory consequences and recommended further research and interims.
Senate Bill 2296, which would define "first responders" in Century Code to include public safety telecommunicators (commonly called 911 operators), prompted supportive testimony from dispatch directors and questions from senators about legal consequences and where a statutory definition should reside.
Senator Wallen, sponsor of the bill, said telecommunicators are "the first of the first responders" and that the work they do — dispatching responders, giving life-saving instructions and coordinating scenes — exposes them to trauma similar to field responders. "They experience emotional and…
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