An Act To Improve the Safety and Survival of 9-1-1 Callers and First Responders

Sec. 1. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§3-C  is enacted to read:

Sec. 2. Rule-making process. In developing criteria under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 25, section 2927, subsection 3-C to determine which public safety answering points receive funding when more public safety answering points volunteer to adopt and implement standardized protocols for police and fire 9-1-1 calls than there is available funding, the Public Utilities Commission, Emergency Services Communication Bureau shall seek input from the statewide association of dispatchers. The criteria considered may include but are not limited to the following information about the public safety answering point seeking funding and assistance:

1. Number of employees;

2. Number of 9-1-1 calls received per year;

3. Number of municipalities served;

4. Total population served;

5. Number of fire departments served;

6. Number of police departments served;

7. Employee retention rate; and

8. The version of the software used by the public safety answering point.

summary

This bill allows the Public Utilities Commission, Emergency Services Communication Bureau to provide selected public safety answering points with assistance in the voluntary adoption and implementation of standardized dispatch protocols, which includes dispatcher training and certification consistent with the protocols, necessary software and printed support materials and a continuous quality improvement program that measures compliance with the protocols through ongoing random case review of each police and fire dispatcher. Funding is provided by allowing up to 5¢ of each statewide E-9-1-1 surcharge collected to be used by the bureau.

The bill directs the bureau to adopt routine technical rules that contain criteria to determine how to allocate resources amongst public safety answering points if more public safety answering points seek to adopt and implement standardized dispatch protocols than available funding will cover. This bill directs the bureau to seek input from the statewide association of dispatchers when developing the criteria for rules.