St. Paul, MN—Legislation authored by Rep. Spencer Igo, R-Grand Rapids, received a hearing in the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee yesterday. House File 3974 requires that public safety telecommunicators often referred to as 911 dispatchers, be certified for that role by the Department of Public Safety (DPS).
The bill builds on legislation Rep. Igo authored last year, originating in Grand Rapids, that convened a working committee to establish standards to streamline 911 and emergency telecommunications across the state of Minnesota. HF 3974 implements the recommendations made by this working committee.
“Public safety and the security of their family and friends are top of mind for Minnesotans,” said Rep. Igo. “Our public safety telecommunicators are almost always the first on the scene when we need help even though they are on the line. When someone dials 911, they have confidence that someone will pick up on the other end and provide the necessary support and information they need in their time of crisis apart from getting help on the way. It's an honor to carry this bill that leads the way in providing the tools necessary to make sure that dispatchers are equipped to respond to these calls while streamlining the standards effectively and efficiently across the entire state.”
The certification requirement for public safety telecommunicators takes effect on August 1, 2024.
###