911 dispatchers in Wilson County go from ‘clerical staff’ to first responders
WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Wilson County is now among a handful of counties across the nation to recognize emergency dispatchers as first responders.
During its regular meeting Monday evening, the Wilson County Board of County Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution reclassifying the position. The decision is a part of a recent push to more properly reflect the duties of 911 dispatchers as they are currently classified as “clerical staff” under federal guidelines.
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“Despite all the requirements they must meet to work in this position, the Federal Office of Management and Budget classifies this group of individuals as clerical staff, but we dissent,” the resolution states.
Federal lawmakers began looking to update the classification of emergency dispatchers in 2019 with the 911 Saves Act. However, the bill has been stalled in Congress. It was reintroduced earlier this year as a part of the Enhancing First Response Act, which would also make updates to the nation’s 911 emergency reporting system.
“Classifying public safety telecommunicators as a protective service occupation would correct an inaccurate representation in the Standard Occupational Classification, recognize these professionals for the lifesaving work they perform, and better align the Standard Occupational Classification with related classification systems,” the bill’s text states.
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However, smaller municipalities like Wilson County are taking the matter into their own hands. In 2019, the Mineral County Commission in West Virginia passed a similar resolution reclassifying dispatchers as first responders, and a year later, two Colorado counties followed suit. According to Wilson County 911, the county is the sixth in the nation to pass such as resolution.
Dispatchers in Wilson County undergo specialized training in order to give life-saving information to people in distress and effectively coordinate an emergency response. In the resolution, officials called the job “uniquely stressful,” adding that the environment can have an “adverse emotional and physical impact.”
The resolution also acknowledges the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma in the field. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, it is estimated that nearly 30% of first responders develop behavioral health conditions such as depression and PTSD.
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“Wilson County could not wait for the 911 Saves Act that is stalled in Congress to give our dispatchers the classification of First Responders that they have earned and deserved,” the resolution said. “Wilson County recognizes Public Safety Telecommunicators are far from just clerical and supports the national movement to re-classify telecommunicators as First Responders and truly recognize the work they do.”
In a social media post, District 18 Commissioner Lauren Breeze, who sponsored the resolution, thanked the rest of the commission for their support and said the “next step is to have the State of Tennessee do the same thing.”
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