PROPOSED RULEMAKING
[4 PA. CODE CH. 120c]
Training and Certification Standards for 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Personnel
[29 Pa.B. 1721] The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), under the authority contained in 35 Pa.C.S. §§ 7013 and 7313 (relating to power to adopt regulations; and powers and duties) proposes to adopt regulations in Chapter 120c to read as set forth in Annex A.
These proposed regulations are intended to promote the public's health, safety and welfare by establishing training and certification standards for 9-1-1 emergency communications personnel (for example, call takers, emergency dispatchers and supervisors) who work in the county 9-1-1 emergency communications centers throughout this Commonwealth.
These 9-1-1 center personnel are responsible for taking all calls made by the general public to a 9-1-1 center, for gathering all essential information from the caller about a possible emergency situation, and for dispatching all necessary emergency assistance (for example, fire, police, medical, rescue) to the scene of an actual or potential emergency. These proposed regulations are designed to establish uniform training standards that can be applied to all 9-1-1 center personnel throughout this Commonwealth so that the general public can be assured that all 9-1-1 emergency phone calls will be answered promptly and efficiently and that, when needed, emergency response assistance will be provided as quickly and effectively as possible.
Need for the Proposed Regulations
These proposed regulations are needed to implement section 3(a)(6) of the act of February 12, 1998 (P. L. 64, No. 17) (Act 17) which made several statutory changes to the Public Safety Emergency Telephone Act (35 P. S. §§ 7011--7021). In particular, section 3(a)(6) of Act 17 required PEMA to establish minimum training and certification standards for all emergency dispatchers, call takers and supervisors who work in the county 9-1-1 emergency communications centers located throughout this Commonwealth. The purpose for establishing these training standards is to ensure that all 9-1-1 center personnel possess certain standard levels of training and competency which will enable the general public to receive more effective and timely emergency response services when they are needed.
Affected Persons
All citizens of this Commonwealth will benefit from the improved training standards established for all 9-1-1 emergency communications center personnel which will result in those personnel providing more effective, timely and professional emergency communications and dispatch services to the general public during emergency medical, fire, police and other possible life/threatening or safety situations.
Sunset Requirement
PEMA has not set a sunset date for these proposed regulations because all county 9-1-1 emergency communications systems operate on a continuing basis. PEMA continues to monitor those systems and will propose improvements such as these proposed regulations when required.
Paperwork Requirements
These proposed regulations will not change the amount of paperwork that State agencies and counties must prepare as part of the administration of their 9-1-1 emergency communications systems.
Regulatory Review
Under section 5(a) of the Regulatory Review Act (71 P. S. § 745.5(a)), a copy of these proposed regulations was submitted on March 19, 1999, to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC), the Senate State Government Committee and the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee. In addition to the proposed regulations, IRRC and the Committees were provided with a copy of a detailed regulatory analysis form prepared by PEMA in compliance with Executive Order 1996-1, ''Regulatory Review and Promulgation.'' A copy of the form is available to the public from PEMA upon request. PEMA will consider comments or suggestions received from IRRC or the Committees, together with any comments or suggestions received from the public, prior to adopting the proposed regulations.
If IRRC has objections to any portion of the proposed regulations, it will notify the Department within 10 days of the close of the Committees' review period. The notification shall specify the regulatory review criteria that have not been met by that portion of the proposed regulations. The Regulatory Review Act specifies detailed procedures for review, prior to final publication of the regulations, by the Department, the General Assembly and the Governor of objections raised.
Contact Person
Interested persons are invited to submit written comments, suggestions or objections regarding these proposed regulations to Mark Goodwin, Chief Counsel, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, P. O. Box 3321, Harrisburg, PA 17105, within 30 days of publication of these proposed regulations in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
CHARLES F. WYNNE,
DirectorFiscal Note: 30-52. No fiscal impact; (8) recommends adoption.
Annex A
TITLE 4. ADMINISTRATION
PART V. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
CHAPTER 120c. TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION STANDARDS FOR 911 EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PERSONNEL Sec.
120c.101. Purpose and definitions. 120c.102. Call taker certification. 120c.103. Emergency dispatcher certification. 120c.104. 9-1-1 center supervisor certification. 120c.105. Certification curriculum and instructors. 120c.106. Refresher training. 120c.107. Retention of records for audit. 120c.108. Right to enter and inspect. § 120c.101. Purpose and definitions.
(a) Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to implement section 3(a)(6) of the act which was added by section 3(a)(6) of the act of February 12, 1998 (P. L. 64, No. 17) to provide for the training and certification of call takers, emergency dispatchers and supervisors who work for 9-1-1 emergency communications centers in this Commonwealth.
(b) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
Act--The Public Safety Emergency Telephone Act (35 P. S. §§ 7011--7021).
Agency--The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
§ 120c.102. Call taker certification.
(a) Roles and responsibilities. A call taker is responsible for taking all calls made by the general public to a 9-1-1 emergency communications center and for gathering essential information from the caller to determine whether or not emergency response services need to be provided to the location or incident described by the caller.
(b) Certification.
(1) The Agency will certify as a call taker an individual who meets the following qualifications:
(i) Completes an application on a form prescribed by the Agency.
(ii) Is 18 years of age or older.
(iii) Has successfully completed a call taker training course approved by the Agency.
(iv) Has passed a written examination prescribed by the Agency.
(v) Has passed a practical test of call taker skills prescribed by the Agency.
(2) A call taker's certification is valid for 3 years from the date the certification was issued by the Agency. To maintain certification as a call taker, an individual shall comply with the recertification requirements in subsection (c).
(c) Recertification. A call taker shall apply for recertification between 6 months and 60 days prior to expiration of the call taker's certification from the Agency. A call taker's failure to apply for recertification in a timely manner may result in the individual not being recertified before the prior certification expires. The Agency will recertify as a call taker an individual who meets the following qualifications:
(1) Completes an application on a form prescribed by the Agency.
(2) Is or was previously certified as a call taker by the Agency.
(3) Successfully passes a call taker written examination prescribed by the Agency.
§ 120c.103. Emergency dispatcher certification.
(a) Roles and responsibilities. An emergency dispatcher is responsible for taking the information gathered by a call taker, determining the appropriate response to the situation and dispatching the available emergency fire, police, ambulance, emergency management or other resources needed to deal with the emergency situation.
(b) Certification.
(1) The Agency will certify as an emergency dispatcher, for fire, police, ambulance or emergency management services, an individual who meets the following qualifications:
(i) Completes an application on a form prescribed by the Agency.
(ii) Is 18 years of age or older.
(iii) Has successfully completed requirements prescribed by the Agency to be a call taker.
(iv) Has successfully completed an emergency dispatcher fire, police, ambulance or emergency management training course prescribed by the Agency.
(v) Has passed a written examination prescribed by the Agency for emergency dispatcher fire, police, ambulance or emergency management.
(vi) Has passed a practical test of emergency dispatcher skills for fire, police, ambulance or emergency management prescribed by the Agency.
(2) An emergency dispatcher's certification is valid for 3 years from the date the certification was issued by the Agency. To maintain certification as an emergency dispatcher, an individual shall comply with the recertification requirements in subsection (c).
(c) Recertification. An emergency dispatcher shall apply for recertification between 6 months and 60 days prior to expiration of the emergency dispatcher's certification from the Agency. An emergency dispatcher's failure to apply for recertification in a timely manner may result in the individual not being recertified before the prior certification expires. The Agency will recertify as an emergency dispatcher an individual who meets the following qualifications:
(1) Completes an application on a form prescribed by the Agency.
(2) Is or was previously certified as an emergency dispatcher by the Agency.
(3) Successfully passes an emergency dispatcher written examination prescribed by the Agency.
§ 120c.104. 9-1-1 center supervisor certification.
(a) Roles and responsibilities. A 9-1-1 center supervisor is responsible for managing the overall operation of a 9-1-1 emergency communications center. A supervisor's duties include:
(1) Supervising the activities of all call takers and emergency dispatchers present in the 9-1-1 center.
(2) Providing decision making, direction and control, and other authority for the operation of the 9-1-1 center.
(3) Handling other duties and responsibilities as assigned by proper authority.
(b) Certification.
(1) To be certified as a 9-1-1 center supervisor, an individual shall:
(i) Complete an application on a form prescribed by the Agency.
(ii) Be 20 years of age or older.
(iii) Have successfully completed requirements prescribed by the Agency to be a call taker.
(iv) Have successfully completed requirements prescribed by the Agency to be an emergency dispatcher fire, police, ambulance and emergency management.
(v) Have successfully completed a front line supervisor course prescribed by the Agency and passed a written examination given for that course.
(vi) Have passed a practical test of 9-1-1 center supervisor skills prescribed by the Agency.
(2) A 9-1-1 center supervisor's certification is valid for 4 years from the date the certification was issued by the Agency. To maintain certification as a 9-1-1 center supervisor, an individual shall comply with the recertification requirements in subsection (c).
(c) Recertification. A 9-1-1 center supervisor shall apply for recertification between 9 months and 90 days prior to expiration of the 9-1-1 center supervisor's certification from the Agency. A 9-1-1 center supervisor's failure to apply for recertification in a timely manner may result in the individual not being recertified before the prior certification expires. The Agency will recertify as a 9-1-1 center supervisor, an individual who meets the following qualifications:
(1) Completes an application on a form prescribed by the Agency.
(2) Is or was previously certified as a 9-1-1 center supervisor by the Agency.
(3) Successfully passes a 9-1-1 center supervisor written examination prescribed by the Agency.
§ 120c.105. Certification curriculum and instructors.
(a) The Agency will review and approve certification curriculums, materials, schedules, examinations, fees, recordkeeping and other related matters that are necessary to implement the certification standards established by this chapter.
(b) The Agency will approve instructors who conduct the certification courses reviewed and approved by the Agency. Instructors shall have satisfactorily completed an Agency approved training course for teaching the subjects they are expected to teach or they shall have the academic credentials and instruction experience necessary to demonstrate a broad command of the subject matter of the courses and competent instructional skills.
§ 120c.106. Refresher training.
(a) Call takers and emergency dispatchers who are certified in accordance with this chapter shall receive annual refresher training of sufficient content and duration to maintain their competencies, or shall demonstrate competency in those areas at least yearly. The Agency will publish annual guidelines concerning this matter.
(b) A record of the methodology used to demonstrate competency of the call takers and emergency dispatchers shall be maintained in accordance with § 120c.107 (relating to the retention of records for audit).
§ 120c.107. Retention of records for audit.
(a) A county, city, borough or any other public or private operator of a 9-1-1 emergency communications system in this Commonwealth shall maintain a record of the certification document and any related supporting documents for each employe, agent or representative who is certified by the Agency as a call taker, emergency dispatcher (such as fire, police, ambulance or emergency management), or 9-1-1 center supervisor. Records shall be retained for 4 years starting at the time the certification document or its supporting documents were signed and dated by the proper signatory to the document.
(b) A county, city, borough or other public or private operator of a 9-1-1 emergency communications center shall make the records described in subsection (a) available for audit by Commonwealth and Agency officials within 10 days after receiving a written request that those records be made available for audit. The audit request may be made at any time during the 4-year record retention period.
§ 120c.108. Right to enter and inspect.
(a) The Agency has the right to enter any 9-1-1 emergency communications center in this Commonwealth during regular and usual business hours, or at other times when the Agency deems necessary, to conduct the following activities:
(1) Inspect the employment records that pertain to the certification of all 9-1-1 emergency communications center personnel and the staffing of those personnel.
(2) Inspect the county plans, emergency dispatch protocols, and other documents related to the operation of the 911 emergency communications center and the dispatch of emergency services by that center.
(3) Inspect the equipment and other items required to be maintained at the 9-1-1 emergency communication center under § 120a.104(b) (relating to minimum standards for PSAP's).
(b) Agency reserves the right to enter any 9-1-1 emergency communications center and make inspections at least semiannually, and at other times upon complaint or a reasonable belief that violations of this Chapter or chapter 120b (relating to public safety emergency telephone program) may exist.
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 99-538. Filed for public inspection April 2, 1999, 9:00 a.m.]
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