CS for CS for CS for SB 742                     Second Engrossed
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       2010742e2
       
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public safety telecommunicators;
    3         amending s. 365.172, F.S.; including dispatching as a
    4         function of E911 service; including fees for
    5         certification and recertification collected by the
    6         Department of Health in authorized expenditures for
    7         E911 services; amending s. 401.411, F.S.; revising
    8         applicability of certain disciplinary actions and
    9         penalties; amending s. 401.465, F.S.; redefining the
   10         term “emergency dispatcher” as “public safety
   11         telecommunicator”; defining the term “public safety
   12         telecommunication training program”; providing
   13         requirements for training and certification of a
   14         public safety telecommunicator, including fees;
   15         requiring certain 911 public safety telecommunicators,
   16         sworn state-certified law enforcement officers, or
   17         state-certified firefighters to pass an examination
   18         administered by the department; requiring the
   19         department to establish a procedure for the approval
   20         of public safety telecommunication training programs;
   21         providing for temporary waiver of certification
   22         requirements in an area of the state for which the
   23         Governor has declared a state of emergency; providing
   24         a declaration of important state interest; providing
   25         an effective date.
   26  
   27  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   28  
   29         Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (9) of
   30  section 365.172, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   31         365.172 Emergency communications number “E911.”—
   32         (9) AUTHORIZED EXPENDITURES OF E911 FEE.—
   33         (a) For purposes of this section, E911 service includes the
   34  functions of database management, call taking, dispatching,
   35  location verification, and call transfer.
   36         (b) All costs directly attributable to the establishment or
   37  provision of E911 service and contracting for E911 services are
   38  eligible for expenditure of moneys derived from imposition of
   39  the fee authorized by this section. These costs include the
   40  acquisition, implementation, and maintenance of Public Safety
   41  Answering Point (PSAP) equipment and E911 service features, as
   42  defined in the Public Service Commission’s lawfully approved 911
   43  and E911 and related tariffs or the acquisition, installation,
   44  and maintenance of other E911 equipment, including call
   45  answering equipment, call transfer equipment, ANI controllers,
   46  ALI controllers, ANI displays, ALI displays, station
   47  instruments, E911 telecommunications systems, visual call
   48  information and storage devices, recording equipment, telephone
   49  devices and other equipment for the hearing impaired used in the
   50  E911 system, PSAP backup power systems, consoles, automatic call
   51  distributors, and interfaces, including hardware and software,
   52  for computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems, integrated CAD
   53  systems for that portion of the systems used for E911 call
   54  taking, network clocks, salary and associated expenses for E911
   55  call takers for that portion of their time spent taking and
   56  transferring E911 calls, salary and associated expenses for a
   57  county to employ a full-time equivalent E911 coordinator
   58  position and a full-time equivalent mapping or geographical data
   59  position and a staff assistant position per county for the
   60  portion of their time spent administrating the E911 system,
   61  training costs for PSAP call takers, supervisors, and managers
   62  in the proper methods and techniques used in taking and
   63  transferring E911 calls, costs to train and educate PSAP
   64  employees regarding E911 service or E911 equipment, including
   65  fees collected by the Department of Health for the certification
   66  and recertification of 911 public safety telecommunicators as
   67  required under s. 401.465, and expenses required to develop and
   68  maintain all information, including ALI and ANI databases and
   69  other information source repositories, necessary to properly
   70  inform call takers as to location address, type of emergency,
   71  and other information directly relevant to the E911 call-taking
   72  and transferring function. Moneys derived from the fee may also
   73  be used for next-generation E911 network services, next
   74  generation E911 database services, next-generation E911
   75  equipment, and wireless E911 routing systems.
   76         Section 2. Paragraphs (g) and (k) of subsection (1) of
   77  section 401.411, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   78         401.411 Disciplinary action; penalties.—
   79         (1) The department may deny, suspend, or revoke a license,
   80  certificate, or permit or may reprimand or fine any licensee,
   81  certificateholder, or other person operating under this part for
   82  any of the following grounds:
   83         (g) Unprofessional conduct, including, but not limited to,
   84  any departure from or failure to conform to the minimal
   85  prevailing standards of acceptable practice under this part as
   86  an emergency medical technician or paramedic, including
   87  undertaking activities that the emergency medical technician, or
   88  paramedic, health care professional, or other professional is
   89  not qualified by training or experience to perform.
   90         (k) Practicing as an emergency medical technician,
   91  paramedic, or other health care professional, or other
   92  professional operating under this part without reasonable skill
   93  and without regard for the safety of the public to patients by
   94  reason of illness, drunkenness, or the use of drugs, narcotics,
   95  or chemicals or any other substance or as a result of any mental
   96  or physical condition.
   97         Section 3. Section 401.465, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   98  read:
   99         401.465 911 public safety telecommunicator emergency
  100  dispatcher certification.—
  101         (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
  102         (a) “911 public safety telecommunicator emergency
  103  dispatcher” means a person employed by a state agency or local
  104  government as a public safety dispatcher or 911 operator whose
  105  duties and responsibilities include the answering, receiving,
  106  transferring, and dispatching functions related to 911 calls;
  107  dispatching law enforcement officers, fire rescue services,
  108  emergency medical services, and other public safety services to
  109  the scene of an emergency; providing real-time information from
  110  federal, state, and local crime databases; or supervising or
  111  serving as the command officer to a person or persons having
  112  such duties and responsibilities. However, the term does not
  113  include administrative support personnel, including, but not
  114  limited to, those whose primary duties and responsibilities are
  115  in accounting, purchasing, legal, and personnel.
  116         (b) “Department” means the Department of Health.
  117         (c) “Public safety telecommunication training program”
  118  means a 911 emergency public safety telecommunications training
  119  program that the department determines to be equivalent to the
  120  public safety telecommunication training program curriculum
  121  framework developed by the Department of Education and consists
  122  of not less than 232 hours.
  123         (2) PERSONNEL; STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION.—
  124         (a) Effective October 1, 2012, any person employed as a 911
  125  public safety telecommunicator at a public safety answering
  126  point, as defined s. 365.172(3)(a), must be certified by the
  127  department.
  128         (b) A public safety agency, as defined s. 365.171(3)(d),
  129  may employ a 911 public safety telecommunicator trainee for a
  130  period not to exceed 12 months if the trainee works under the
  131  direct supervision of a certified 911 public safety
  132  telecommunicator, as determined by rule of the department, and
  133  is enrolled in a public safety telecommunication training
  134  program.
  135         (c)(a)An applicant for certification or recertification
  136  Any person who desires to be certified or recertified as a 911
  137  public safety telecommunicator must emergency dispatcher may
  138  apply to the department under oath on forms provided by the
  139  department. The department shall establish by rule educational
  140  and training criteria for the certification and recertification
  141  of 911 public safety telecommunicators emergency dispatchers.
  142         (d)(b) The department shall determine whether the applicant
  143  meets the requirements specified in this section and in rules of
  144  the department and shall issue a certificate to any person who
  145  meets such requirements. Such requirements must include, but
  146  need not be limited to, the following:
  147         1. Completion of an appropriate 911 public safety
  148  telecommunication emergency dispatcher training program that is
  149  equivalent to the most recently approved emergency dispatcher
  150  course of the Department of Education and consists of not less
  151  than 208 hours;
  152         2. Completion and documentation of at least 2 years of
  153  supervised full-time employment as a 911 emergency dispatcher
  154  since January 1, 2002;
  155         2.3. Certification under oath that the applicant is not
  156  addicted to alcohol or any controlled substance;
  157         3.4. Certification under oath that the applicant is free
  158  from any physical or mental defect or disease that might impair
  159  the applicant’s ability to perform his or her duties;
  160         4.5. Submission of the application fee prescribed in
  161  subsection (3); and
  162         5.6. Submission of a completed application to the
  163  department which indicates compliance with subparagraphs 1., 2.,
  164  and 3.;, and 4.
  165         6. Effective October 1, 2012, passage of an examination
  166  administered by the department which measures the applicant’s
  167  competency and proficiency in the subject material of the public
  168  safety telecommunication training program.
  169         (e)(c) The department shall establish by rule a procedure
  170  that requires 20 hours of training for the biennial renewal
  171  certification of 911 public safety telecommunicators emergency
  172  dispatchers.
  173         (f)(d)A Each 911 public safety telecommunicator emergency
  174  dispatcher certificate expires automatically if not renewed at
  175  the end of the 2-year period and may be renewed if the holder
  176  meets the qualifications for renewal as established by the
  177  department. A certificate that is not renewed at the end of the
  178  2-year period automatically reverts to an inactive status for a
  179  period that may not exceed 180 days. Such certificate may be
  180  reactivated and renewed within the 180-day period if the
  181  certificateholder meets all other qualifications for renewal and
  182  pays a $50 late fee. Reactivation shall be in a manner and on
  183  forms prescribed by department rule.
  184         (g)(e) The department may suspend or revoke a certificate
  185  at any time if it determines that the certificateholder does not
  186  meet the applicable qualifications.
  187         (h)(f) A certificateholder may request that his or her 911
  188  public safety telecommunicator emergency dispatcher certificate
  189  be placed on inactive status by applying to the department
  190  before his or her current certification expires and paying a fee
  191  set by the department, which may not exceed $50 $100.
  192         1. A certificateholder whose certificate has been on
  193  inactive status for 1 year or less may renew his or her
  194  certificate pursuant to the rules adopted by the department and
  195  upon payment of a renewal fee set by the department, which may
  196  not exceed $50 $100.
  197         2. A certificateholder whose certificate has been on
  198  inactive status for more than 1 year may renew his or her
  199  certificate pursuant to rules adopted by the department.
  200         3. A certificate that has been inactive for more than 6
  201  years automatically expires and may not be renewed.
  202         (i)(g) The department shall establish by rule a procedure
  203  for the initial certification of 911 public safety
  204  telecommunicators emergency dispatchers as defined in this
  205  section who have documentation of at least 3 5 years of
  206  supervised full-time employment as a 911 public safety
  207  telecommunicator or an emergency dispatcher since January 1,
  208  2002. This paragraph expires October 1, 2012.
  209         (j) If a person was employed as a 911 public safety
  210  telecommunicator, a sworn state-certified law enforcement
  211  officer, or a state-certified firefighter before April 1, 2012,
  212  he or she must pass the examination administered by the
  213  department which measures the competency and proficiency in the
  214  subject material of the public safety telecommunication program,
  215  as defined paragraph (1)(c). Upon passage of the examination,
  216  the completion of the public safety telecommunication training
  217  program shall be waived.
  218         (k) The department shall establish by rule a procedure for
  219  the approval of public safety telecommunication training
  220  programs required by this section.
  221         (3) FEES.—
  222         (a) The initial application fee for application for the 911
  223  public safety telecommunicator emergency dispatcher original
  224  certificate is $50 $75.
  225         (b) The examination fee for the 911 public safety
  226  telecommunicator shall be set by the department and may not
  227  exceed $75.
  228         (c)(b) The application fee for the 911 public safety
  229  telecommunicator emergency dispatcher biennial renewal
  230  certificate shall be set by the department and may not exceed
  231  $50 is $100.
  232         (d) The application fee for department approval of a public
  233  safety telecommunication training program shall be set by the
  234  department and may not exceed $50.
  235         (e)(c) Fees collected under this section shall be deposited
  236  into the Emergency Medical Services Trust Fund and used solely
  237  for salaries and expenses of the department incurred in
  238  administering this section.
  239         (f)(d) If a certificate issued under this section is lost
  240  or destroyed, the person to whom the certificate was issued may,
  241  upon payment of a fee set by the department, which may not
  242  exceed $25, obtain a duplicate or substitute certificate.
  243         (g)(e) Upon surrender of the original 911 public safety
  244  telecommunicator or emergency dispatcher certificate and receipt
  245  of a replacement fee set by the department, which may not exceed
  246  $25, the department shall issue a replacement certificate to
  247  make a change in name.
  248         (4) STATE-OF-EMERGENCY WAIVER.—The provisions of this
  249  section may be temporarily waived by the department in a
  250  geographic area of the state where a state of emergency has been
  251  declared by the Governor pursuant to s. 252.36.
  252         Section 4. The Legislature finds that this act fulfills an
  253  important state interest.
  254         Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.