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911 officials and EMS experts push for medical oversight and new funding as Council weighs OUC bills
Summary
Office of Unified Communications Director Heather McGaffin and EMS experts told the Council the Emergency Medical Services Clarification Act should place clinical oversight and quality assurance authority with a dedicated medical director and require EMD certification; OUC also proposed a hotel surcharge to close an estimated $7.5 million funding gap for 911 modernization.
The Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety heard lengthy testimony on March 18 about two related bills aimed at strengthening the District's 911 system: the Emergency Medical Services Clarification Amendment Act of 2026, which would explicitly codify medical oversight of OUC, and the E911 Modernization Amendment Act of 2025, which would reform the fee structure used to fund emergency communications.
OUC Director Heather McGaffin supported both bills in principle. "Our communications platforms have grown extensively since the fund was set in 2000," McGaffin told the committee, arguing current special‑revenue collections cover only about 20% of OUC's operating costs. She proposed a modest hotel room surcharge that her office estimates would generate roughly $7.5 million annually to help stabilize funding…
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