911 Dispatchers staffing the more than one hundred 911 Centers in the State of Arkansas are not required to be trained. Although many cities, counties, and agencies provide training there is not a state requirement. HB1741 will be signed by the Governor at 1pm today. Gary Gray, Deputy Coordinator and Operations Manager for the City of North Little Rock’s Emergency Services states this is great progress. “911 Dispatchers are the first link from citizens to authorities to report emergencies. These emergencies may range from personal medical emergencies to terrorist events.” “We simply want to have training available for the Dispatchers so when an event is reported, the Dispatcher has the knowledge to properly handle the incident.”

HB1741 is not mandatory but will make the training available. Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy has agreed to provide the training with current fees that are collected from wireless phone bills. Gray says there are no new fees or taxes required to fund this program. “The money for this program is already in place.”

The curriculum will be modeled from the national standard set forth by APCO International. (Association of Public Safety Communications Officials). Gray states this will be a train-the-trainer type program. Agencies may send Dispatchers for training and they could return to their respective agencies and provide the training to their agency and/or regionally throughout the state. “We feel this is the most cost effective way to accomplish this training at this time.”

While Gray and his colleagues recognize additional training for Dispatchers is needed to fully encompass their responsibilities. They feel this is a great first step to ensure the safety of the citizens and the responders.

Mr Gray, Shannon McCuin, and Tammie Shipp attended many conferences over the past two and a half years gathering support of key players. “We needed to get the support from those that would benefit from our training.” They obtained the support of the Association of Arkansas Counties, the Municipal League, Fire Chief’s Association, the Sheriff’s Association and others. Gray says visiting with those associations helped to garner support and we were able to bargain with them to understand their needs. Gray feels this partnering helped the bill pass through the committees in the House and the Senate with no opposition.

This is a monumental day for Arkansans and responders alike. Dispatchers are being recognized as true professionals. No citizens cry for help should fall upon an untrained ear.

For more information, contact Gary E. Gray, Deputy Coordinator, North Little Rock Emergency Services, & Arkansas APCO Chapter Secretary at [email protected].