Senators hear unanimous support for bill requiring human‑trafficking training for first responders, dispatchers and ambulance staff

Sen. Carrie Buck presented Senate Bill 127, which would add an hour of human‑trafficking awareness training to the certification requirements for emergency medical personnel including emergency medical technicians, paramedics, firefighters, 9‑1‑1 dispatchers and ambulance professionals. An amendment agreed in committee changes the training renewal period to biannual (every other year) rather than annual.

Tina DeCola, a former Las Vegas Fire and Rescue 9‑1‑1 dispatcher and current instructor, told senators she developed a curriculum used in Southern Nevada and the Southern Nevada Human Trafficking Task Force. DeCola recounted a 911 call she handled nine years earlier that exposed gaps in dispatcher training and said mandatory, standardized training has led to multiple successful recoveries of trafficking victims in Clark County, North Las Vegas and Henderson.

A survivor, Annika Huff, testified about an interaction during her trafficking when a firefighter briefly appeared at a doorway and showed concern; she said trained responders can make the difference between continued victimization and rescue. Fire Captain Michael Suska described optional training he received that helped him recognize trafficking cases in the field; he told the committee the training should be mandatory, not optional.

Supporters including the Nevada Policy Council on Human Trafficking, Prevent Child Trafficking Nevada, the Retail Association and nurses’ and veterans’ groups urged passage. Col. Will Bradley (ret.) of the United Veterans Legislative Council recommended safeguards so well‑intentioned reporting would not chill reporting through fear of false accusations.

Senators asked implementation questions about curriculum, certification and cost. DeCola said the training is free to agencies, delivered via the agencies’ existing online platforms (TargetSolutions) and she provides “train‑the‑trainer” instruction for training officers. Clark County Fire and other Southern Nevada agencies indicated they have training platforms and could upload the curriculum; Henderson Fire reported having the training in its system. The amendment to make renewal biannual was requested by Clark County Fire to align with existing recertification schedules.

The hearing drew broad supportive public comment; no opposition testimony was recorded. The sponsor and witnesses asked the committee to move SB127 to immediate work session so that implementation and interagency coordination can proceed in the legislative timeline.

Ending note: senators praised the survivor testimony and requested technical follow up about statewide rollout and whether northern Nevada jurisdictions could adopt the same platform without added costs.