Referred to:  The Law Enforcement & Public Safety Committee (Chairwoman Eckert and Legislators Collins, Haynes, Heppner, and Ronk)

Legislator Kenneth J. Ronk, Jr. and Legislator Lynn Eckert offer the following:

WHEREAS, the 911 Saves Act directs the US Office of Management and Budget to reclassify public safety telecommunicators from “Office and Administrative Support Occupations” to the category of “Protective Service Occupations”; and

WHEREAS, the federal government’s Standard Occupational Classification System (SOCS) sorts workers into occupational categories for statistical purposes, according to the nature of the work performed and, in some cases, on the skills, education, or training needed to perform the work; and

WHEREAS, America’s 9-1-1 telecommunicators are currently categorized in the SOCS as an “Office and Administrative Support Occupation,” a category which includes secretaries, office clerks, and taxicab dispatchers; and

WHEREAS, classifying 9-1-1 telecommunicators as an “Office and Administrative Support Occupation” fails to recognize their central role in public safety and homeland security, their specialized training and skills, and their stressful work environment; and

WHEREAS, classifying public safety telecommunicators as “Protective Service Occupations” – alongside police, firefighters, security guards, lifeguards, and others whose job it is to protect our communities would better reflect the work they perform, and align the SOCS with related classification systems; and

WHEREAS, H.R. 1629, the “Supporting Accurate Views of Emergency Services Act of 2019” as known as the “911 SAVES Act,” directing the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to reclassify public safety telecommunicators as a "Protective Service Occupation,” has been introduced in the United States House of Representatives; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature supports the passage of H.R. 1629, and encourages the introduction of companion legislation in the US Senate; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the members of the Ulster County Legislature will continue to advocate for an accurate statistical classification for 9-1-1 professionals to support critical research into the nature and impacts of 9-1-1 jobs, which differ substantially from those encountered by non-public-safety “Office and Administrative Support Occupations”; and, be it further

RESOLVED, the Clerk of the County Legislature shall forward certified copies of this resolution all members of the United States Congress representing Ulster County,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                        NOES:    

Passed Committee: Law Enforcement and Public Safety on ______________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE