Lawmakers Look to Improve Florida’s 911 System
March 26th, 2019 by Jake StofanIf you’re out of town and someone’s breaking into your house, how do you report the crime to your local police?
A new bill would require every dispatch in the state to have the ability to transfer you to any other jurisdiction at a moments notice.
Imagine calling 9-1-1, getting the wrong dispatch center and being hung up on because they can’t transfer you.
It’s exactly what happened to Rep. Mike Caruso when his son was injured on a ski trip.
“Finally after about ten minutes on the phone trying to get somebody to come I just hung up the phone and picked my son up off the ground, put him in my car and drove to the hospital,” said Caruso.
The proposed legislation, which cleared a House committee Tuesday, would require all dispatch centers Florida to be able to transfer calls to any other dispatch center in the state.
“This bill could mean the difference between life and death,” said House Sponsor Bobby DuBose.
Rep. DuBose says a requirement in the bill that all dispatcher centers be able to receive text messages will also make Floridians safer.
“We have individuals who have no voice, but also are confronted with emergency situations. So this gives them an opportunity to reach out and receive help,” said DuBose.
The legislation would also require dispatchers to have a system in place that would allow them to directly communicate with all first responders in the field, to cut down on response times to incidents of mass violence.
Former Police Chief Gary Hester says the need for improving response times was highlighted during the Parkland shooting.
“The massacre occurred in three minutes or less, so response is absolutely crucial,” said Hester.
Under the bill, text to 911 services would have to be in place by 2022, while transferring 9-1-1 calls has no deadline.
It’s expected all but six counties in the state will offer text to 9-1-1 services by the end of the year, regardless of whether or not the proposed legislation passes.
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