Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Classification topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Huntington Park commission renames communications roles as 'public safety' positions in unanimous vote
Summary
The Huntington Park Civil Service Commission voted 5-0 to reclassify the city's Communications Operator positions as "Public Safety Dispatcher" and to change the supervisor title to "Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor," citing federal and national efforts to recognize 9-1-1 telecommunicators as first responders.
The Huntington Park Civil Service Commission voted unanimously to reclassify two city communications titles, approving a change to the entry-level position from Communications Operator to Public Safety Dispatcher and renaming the supervisory title to Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor.
City staff told commissioners the changes align with federal and national efforts to recognize telecommunicators as first responders. Staff cited recent congressional activity around the "9-1-1 Saves Act" and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), and said the reclassification is intended to reflect the specialized, life‑saving work dispatchers perform.
"Every day, 911 professionals are the first responders in thousands of emergencies," the staff presentation quoted NENA CEO John Provenzano as saying in national remarks. City staff said Huntington Park is updating local job classifications to match that national movement.
The commission moved and seconded the item and approved both actions by a 5-0 roll-call vote. Commissioners who voted "yes" were Chair Guillermo Flores, Vice Chair Stacy Martinez, Commissioner Christopher Alexander Garcia, Commissioner Ramona Perez, and Commissioner Morazio Sanchez. The staff report said the changes are title-only adjustments to the classification and did not specify any immediate changes to pay or collective-bargaining status.
The reclassification was presented as a no-cost, bipartisan policy alignment that would correct what staff described as an outdated occupational classification in local job titles. Staff referenced Resolution No. 2006‑61 (noted in meeting materials) as the document where commission compensation and related administrative procedures are recorded. The staff presentation also referenced the Brown Act as the governing state law for open meetings.
The commission did not debate amendments or request additional materials before voting. City staff said updated class specifications are in the meeting packet and that any subsequent changes to compensation or bargaining status would follow regular personnel and collective-bargaining processes.
The commission also approved the supervisor title change on the same 5-0 vote during the same meeting. No effective date for the title changes was specified in the discussion; staff indicated the change would be processed administratively following the commission's approval.
