Bill proposes adding 911 dispatchers first responder family

BRADENTON, Fla. - Officials hope a legislative bill to recognize 911 telecommunicators as first responders may inspire more people to join the profession if it gets passed.

As a captain with the Manatee County 911 call center, Mike Turner has spent 25 years asking questions to help others.

"We provide important lifesaving instruction in a lot of cases, to the 911 callers. Numerous times a day. Obviously, we provide that to the first responders, but we get it started before they get there," he said.

The work he has done inspired his son Derek at a young age.

While 911 telecommunicators are the first first responders to most emergencies, they aren’t recognized as first responders and there’s a nationwide push to change that

"Just knowing somebody I always looked up to was out protecting the community, it felt like when I was younger, something I had to look up to and hopefully my daughter will look up to that one day," said Derek Turner.

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Sometimes the father and son duo get to answer calls side by side.

"I take pride in listening to him talk to 911 callers and him do such a great job with it," shared Mike Turner.

While 911 telecommunicators are the first first responders to most emergencies, they aren’t recognized as first responders and there’s a nationwide push to change that.

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"Being included alongside our professional partners gives us parody and acknowledgment of the vital role that we play in public safety. We certainly want our employees statewide to be productive and safe," said Arthur Kirby.

If passed, the bill would revise the definition of first responder to include 911 public safety telecommunicators, but efforts in the past have failed. 

The 2023 Legislative session will see House Bill 291 introduced. If passed, it would revise the definition of a first responder to include 911 public safety telecommunicators, but efforts in the past have failed.

Arthur Kirby with the Florida Association of Public Safety Communications hopes that will change.

"Statewide, we are looking at about a 23% attrition rate statewide. We are hurting in the category of manpower. We see this as an opportunity for us to have our profession acknowledged as such so we can look to other employment opportunities congruent and equal to our other partners," said Kirby.

If they are recognized as first responders, the telecommunicators will be able to access benefits they currently lack. 

Being recognized as first responders they hope, will attract more applicants to the field and provide benefits they have lacked.

"We are part of the community and you become a part of the brotherhood or family of the first responders and all of our EMS personnel, firefighters and police officers. We feel like a part of the family," said Turner.