This being National Telecommunicators Week, I’ve been spending some time online reading about the exploits of those who toil anonymously, passionately, and tirelessly in our nation’s 911 centers. If the idea of a warm-and-fuzzy feeling washing over you sounds appealing, I suggest you do the same.
I came across a story about a telecommunicator in Sumter County, Florida, who three weeks ago fielded a call from a wife whose husband had suffered an apparent heart attack. The caller didn’t have the first clue about how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). So, for the next six minutes, the telecommunicator walked her through the steps, staying on the line until paramedics arrived. Doctors credited those six minutes with saving the man’s life.
Eerily, I found another story from almost exactly a year ago, in Chicago, when a telecommunicator also walked the 911 caller through performing CPR on a retired city firefighter who had been helping a coworker move a piece of furniture. Again, the caller didn’t have the first idea as to how to go about it. These episodes share an interesting similarity in that both telecommunicators, while coaching the callers, counted the chest compressions along with them, to ensure the correct cadence. In a “you can’t make this stuff up” sidebar, the victim — who is fully recovered, albeit with a pacemaker — worked with the telecommunicator’s father, a Chicago Fire Department battalion chief, before retiring.
These telecommunicators don’t sound like clerical workers, do they? I don’t think so either, which is why I am thrilled by the legislation passed unanimously by the Pennsylvania House last week that classifies telecommunicators as emergency responders. The legislation has been forwarded to the Senate for consideration.
But the excitement is tempered by the realization that it is extremely unlikely that similar laws will be enacted in all 50 states. Better still would be for Congress to enact the 911 SAVES Act, which was reintroduced in the U.S. House in January. It would require the Office of Management and Budget to reclassify telecommunicators as a “protective service occupation” within 30 days after the bill becomes law. A similar bill, the Enhancing First Response Act, was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate in February.
These bills are not the first attempt by federal lawmakers to resolve this important issue. Indeed, what’s happening — or more accurately, not happening — on Capitol Hill has begun to feel a little like Lucy yanking the football away before Charlie Brown can kick it. Yet, I remain optimistic because the logic behind reclassifying telecommunicators as emergency responders, on the same level as law-enforcement, fire/rescue, and emergency-medical personnel, is irrefutable. The anecdotes shared above make this crystal clear — and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of similar stories across the nation every year.
The 911 community needs to step up its efforts to tell these stories. The current state of affairs reminds me of FirstNet and its nationwide public-safety broadband network. When the idea for the network was first floated, there was a lot of skepticism and very few in the public-safety community thought it would be built.
But a group of advocates doggedly lobbied members of Congress, who eventually came around, authorizing the creation of FirstNet and providing $7 billion in seed money as well as extremely valuable radio spectrum for the network. It wasn’t accomplished overnight, and it took tremendous effort and time — but it was accomplished.
Persistence is one of MCP’s core values, embraced by every member of the firm. The concept is best described as “stubborn determination.” The entire 911 community needs to exhibit persistence — and patience — in getting Congress to right this wrong and reclassify telecommunicators, an action that is unquestionably warranted.
Now, wouldn’t that be thrilling?
Darrin Reilly is MCP’s president and CEO. Email him at DarrinReilly@MissionCriticalPartners.com.