Look at Table 5 on the JLRC study from October 2023. A dispatcher works alongside/ assists/interacts each and everyone single one of the public safety occupations the list! No others on the same list can say that do the same!!! End of discussion.

I just recently learned Dispatchers are not 1 first responders!! how can this be!! ?!!With out dispatchers how would a call start?? And I learned they have been asking for 7 this bill to pass!! It is time Virginia join 19 other states that treat dispatchers as 1st responders with enhanced retirement. How is this even a up for debate? Pass this bill! They are worth ever penny!!

Do you remember any time you have called 911? Who was the 1st person you spoke with? Who was verbal presence and be the calm voice that helped you? Who was the person that started help? A Dispatcher!! It is long overdue for dispatchers to be treated with the same rights and privileges as first responders just as the responders with whom they share the highest public safety responsibilities. I will leave with a quote from Dr. Seuss “To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.

I have been a dispatcher for last 13 years. You may or not beware that we also take non-emergency calls, such as noise complaints, traffic lights out, utility calls and parking violations. That means that right after a 911 call, I have to handle a non-emergency call, which requires a completely different state of mind and thought process. This part of my job in my opinion has gotten harder with my age. The constant switching between emergency and non-emergencies calls can intensify the phycological challenges that we face. Think about it you just completed a call with someone who is having the worst day of their life and now you have to talk to someone who is mad that the traffic light it taking to long to change. That hard call that you just took is still fresh in your mind and now you have to listen to someone who is inconvenienced by a traffic light after you just gave CPR instructions is hard to do. With age over time that constant switching can wear you out. I work nights, weekends, holidays, and bad weather events just like Fireman, EMS and Police. The Fire and EMS and Police see us as a part of their team. Please pass this bill so the Code of VA says in writing that we are on the same team.

My question to the Assembly is do you think that clerks answer emergency calls.Your loved one is having a heart attack and you dial 911 that is not a clerk answering and telling you how to do CPR and dispatching you emergency services .Your house is on fire you dial 911 and a clerk answers No again

I am in my 13 year of dispatching for Caroline County Sheriff's Office. I have been a supervisor for 2 years. I was 45 years old when I started my career as a 911 Dispatcher. This career has been very rewarding in so many ways and it has been very emotional, upsetting, anxious, frustrating, heartbreaking. I attended a supervisor course 2 years and and found out that I do have triggers from doing this job. If I am near someone that is playing out loud a video of people arguing, fighting, screaming I immediately become anxious and angry. If I know the person they have to turn it off or I have to get away from the sound. Most of us have some sort of PTSD, sounds, visuals, the news, storms, snow everyone has a trigger. Let's talk about being a "First Responder", WE are the first on scene. Dispatchers are the first to take the call from someone that is sick, someone found their spouse unconscious and not breathing, Dispatchers are the first to give CPR instructions. We are the voice on the phone to separate a civil or domestic situation. WE (I) am the one that can still hear a 19 yo daughter crying to her mom "please don't leave me" as her mom is having a stroke. This is only a few examples. There are so many that all of us have that we try to compartmentalize. I am in favor of all 3 bills! Please recognize 911 Dispatchers as "First Responders!

When you're in need of emergency services how does the process start? With a phone call. Whos the first to answers these calls? Who is the first to take the information sometimes graphics sometimes heartbreaking. Who ia the first to talk with these citizens that are possibly having the worst day over their life? Who is first to start the process of dispatching the appropriate response? How can you even talk about FIRST responders without talking about the people in emergency communications. You cant have FIRST responders without a dispatchers. It would be impossible to have people on the road or on scene without these amazing and talented people. The ability to multi-task and maintain composure and professionalism during these stressful moments is a true testament to ones character. This shouldn't even be up for debate. It should have been passed into law years ago.

This is long over due. please pass this bill

Please refer this bill to the full committee for consideration. This bill would give the locality option to receive enhanced retirement benefits to 911 dispatchers. Under current law, localities may provide enhanced benefits to firefighters and emergency medical technicians but not 911 dispatchers. Without 911 dispatchers no 1st responded would ever be dispatched to an incident.

Without 911 dispatchers, no first responder would ever be dispatched on an incident. Dispatchers experience many of the same psychological trauma and stressors as law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel. Dispatchers are the first link in the chain between someone experiencing or observing something terrible and getting the proper assistance to them efficiently. They make decisions in spilt seconds that have a lasting impact on the outcome of an emergency. These 911 personnel are exposed to same stressors that personnel on scene experience. It is demanding work with extended hours, few breaks, and around-the-clock, get-it-right-the-first-time service expectations from the same citizens who expect law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians to do the same. Please pass this so that all first responders in the Commonwealth have the same benefits.

I support these 3 because I have been a 911 Dispatcher for over 30 years. I have answered calls of many types including my brothers suicide call back in 2006. We hear people scream, take their last breath, shoot themselves, we hear callers beg for their loved one that they found unconscious and not breathing not to leave the that they were supposed to go first as we are giving them CPR instructions and they are attempting to do what we are telling them to do until help can arrive. We have to calm down callers during domestics usually by telling the caller to go to another location in away from the other party before help arrives, and many more. We may not physically be on the scene but we are mentally on the scene. We are the first contact in an emergency.

I am a dispatcher for the Caroline County sheriff’s office, during my shift there could be only 3 of us working at a time. I have taken calls where I’ve had to give CPR instructions while both Medics and Deputies get on scene. Im In favor of this bill for many reasons. We are the calm voice in the storm, we are the first person that they call in need. I support all three bills!

Currently, Dispatchers are excluded from the enhanced retirement benefits, despite their critical role in saving lives during emergencies. These unsung heroes are vital to the safety and security of their communities they serve. Per JLARC study of Oct 2023(table 5), there are public safety occupations that have the same level of physical demand as a Dispatcher but less public safety responsibility that currently receive enhanced benefits. The stress, combined with the 24-7 nature of the job, has made it hard to attract and retain workers. This will help recruit and retain dispatchers. Dispatchers are just like other public safety first responders. They work in bad weather, holidays and weekends. While the Clerks of court and Clerks of the county are off. Please help to stop this disparity against Dispatchers. I would like to give my support to this bill. Please pass this bill and allow local governments, have the option to provide enhanced retirement benefits for full-time salaried dispatchers.

This Bill will provide local governments the option to elect provide enhanced retirement benefits for hazardous duty service to full-time salaried dispatchers. There is a corresponding bill that includes Virginia State Police Dispatchers. Per the JLARC report on Eligibility of Public Safety Occupations for Enhanced Retirement Benefits (Oct 2023): Virginia does not have an official policy for when/who enhanced retirement benefits should be provided for public safety officials, nor were any policies identified that have been developed nationally across states. However, Virginia has generally recognized the primary rationale for providing enhanced retirement benefits to certain public safety occupations is that the physical and psychological demands of the job make their job responsibilities more difficult to perform as individuals age. A 911 Dispatcher job performance can vastly affect the safety of members of the public and other employees that could diminish with age. Without a dispatcher responder will not know what is going on or get updates on calls. A JLARC from Oct 2023 study showed that 911 Dispatchers have the same level of public safety responsibility as State Troopers, Local Police, Deputy Sheriff’s, Capital Police Officers, Firefighters, EMT’s, and Jail staff. (JLARC Study Oct 2023 table 5) While a Dispatchers physical level of demand is not high. They are regularly exposed to traumatic incidents over the phone, such as domestic violence or individuals in crisis, according to the JLARC survey of public safety occupations and JLARC staff interviews. As a result, they have moderate to high rates of mental health-related workers’ compensation claims. Per JLARC study of Oct 2023(table 5), there are public safety occupations that have the same level of demand as a Dispatcher but less public safety responsibility that currently receive enhanced benefits. A dispatcher starts the call. They participate remotely when their units on scene of calls. They do safety checks on their units. They call for helicopters. They call for tow trucks. They call for Mutual aid when requested. They run Drivers License and Vehicle checks when units are on a call. They send alerts out to citizens about missing person and road closures. They use VCIN to do wanted checks and send request to look for wanted persons on VCIN. They know local landmarks that can help units get to calls quicker. Please help to stop this disparity because Dispatchers. Please pass this bill that would allow local governments, have the option to provide enhanced retirement benefits for full-time salaried dispatchers. Thank you Lisa Harvey

We are the FIRST first responders. Without 911 dispatchers, how do law enforcement officers, firefighters or paramedics know to go? Who is the first person to offer aid to people in need? 911 dispatchers, that’s who. We talk mothers with choking babies through cleaning the obstruction. We guide wives giving CPR to their husbands. We talk children through the fear of domestic violence happening In their homes. And then after those calls, we change gears taking calls from people who are mad their water isn’t working. Or the traffic lights are out and causing a backup making them late. And then right back to those emergency calls. Most days within minutes of each other. We are more than clerks, secretaries or office staff. After all, you wouldn’t trust your children’s emergency to a clerk/secretary would you? No. You wouldn’t. You want emergency personnel. You want first responders. And when you dial 911, that is exactly what you get.

Prince William County submits this endorsement of HB 1564 and HB 1619, allowing local governments to provide enhanced benefits for full time 911 dispatchers. This issue is a priority of this year's county legislative agenda. We would add: • Under current law, localities may provide enhanced benefits to firefighters and emergency medical technicians but not 911 dispatchers. • This allows localities to recognize the integral and invaluable public safety role E911 operators play in their community. • E911 operators have a high and excessive psychological demand and hold and fulfill an enormous communal responsibility (per 2023 JLARC study re: Eligibility of Public Safety Occupations for Enhanced Retirement Benefits). • With a 30% turnover rate for E911 dispatchers, the ability to offer enhanced retirement benefits will help to retain these valued employees. • E911 dispatchers are ranked as one of the most stressful occupations. • This legislation is optional for localities. • It’s time for Virginia to join the 19 other states that have passed similar legislation. We thank the subcommittee for their consideration of this request. Glynn Loope, Legislative Liaison for Prince William County.

Look at Table 5 on the JLRC study from October 2023. A dispatcher works alongside/ assists/interacts each and everyone single one of the public safety occupations the list! No others on the same list can say that do the same!!! End of discussion.

I just recently learned Dispatchers are not 1 first responders!! how can this be!! ?!!With out dispatchers how would a call start?? And I learned they have been asking for 7 this bill to pass!! It is time Virginia join 19 other states that treat dispatchers as 1st responders with enhanced retirement. How is this even a up for debate? Pass this bill! They are worth ever penny!!

Do you remember any time you have called 911? Who was the 1st person you spoke with? Who was verbal presence and be the calm voice that helped you? Who was the person that started help? A Dispatcher!! It is long overdue for dispatchers to be treated with the same rights and privileges as first responders just as the responders with whom they share the highest public safety responsibilities. I will leave with a quote from Dr. Seuss “To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.

I have been a dispatcher for last 13 years. You may or not beware that we also take non-emergency calls, such as noise complaints, traffic lights out, utility calls and parking violations. That means that right after a 911 call, I have to handle a non-emergency call, which requires a completely different state of mind and thought process. This part of my job in my opinion has gotten harder with my age. The constant switching between emergency and non-emergencies calls can intensify the phycological challenges that we face. Think about it you just completed a call with someone who is having the worst day of their life and now you have to talk to someone who is mad that the traffic light it taking to long to change. That hard call that you just took is still fresh in your mind and now you have to listen to someone who is inconvenienced by a traffic light after you just gave CPR instructions is hard to do. With age over time that constant switching can wear you out. I work nights, weekends, holidays, and bad weather events just like Fireman, EMS and Police. The Fire and EMS and Police see us as a part of their team. Please pass this bill so the Code of VA says in writing that we are on the same team.

My question to the Assembly is do you think that clerks answer emergency calls.Your loved one is having a heart attack and you dial 911 that is not a clerk answering and telling you how to do CPR and dispatching you emergency services .Your house is on fire you dial 911 and a clerk answers No again

I am in my 13 year of dispatching for Caroline County Sheriff's Office. I have been a supervisor for 2 years. I was 45 years old when I started my career as a 911 Dispatcher. This career has been very rewarding in so many ways and it has been very emotional, upsetting, anxious, frustrating, heartbreaking. I attended a supervisor course 2 years and and found out that I do have triggers from doing this job. If I am near someone that is playing out loud a video of people arguing, fighting, screaming I immediately become anxious and angry. If I know the person they have to turn it off or I have to get away from the sound. Most of us have some sort of PTSD, sounds, visuals, the news, storms, snow everyone has a trigger. Let's talk about being a "First Responder", WE are the first on scene. Dispatchers are the first to take the call from someone that is sick, someone found their spouse unconscious and not breathing, Dispatchers are the first to give CPR instructions. We are the voice on the phone to separate a civil or domestic situation. WE (I) am the one that can still hear a 19 yo daughter crying to her mom "please don't leave me" as her mom is having a stroke. This is only a few examples. There are so many that all of us have that we try to compartmentalize. I am in favor of all 3 bills! Please recognize 911 Dispatchers as "First Responders!

This is long over due. please pass this bill

Please refer this bill to the full committee for consideration. This bill would give the locality option to receive enhanced retirement benefits to 911 dispatchers. Under current law, localities may provide enhanced benefits to firefighters and emergency medical technicians but not 911 dispatchers. Without 911 dispatchers no 1st responded would ever be dispatched to an incident.

Without 911 dispatchers, no first responder would ever be dispatched on an incident. Dispatchers experience many of the same psychological trauma and stressors as law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel. Dispatchers are the first link in the chain between someone experiencing or observing something terrible and getting the proper assistance to them efficiently. They make decisions in spilt seconds that have a lasting impact on the outcome of an emergency. These 911 personnel are exposed to same stressors that personnel on scene experience. It is demanding work with extended hours, few breaks, and around-the-clock, get-it-right-the-first-time service expectations from the same citizens who expect law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians to do the same. Please pass this so that all first responders in the Commonwealth have the same benefits.

I support these 3 because I have been a 911 Dispatcher for over 30 years. I have answered calls of many types including my brothers suicide call back in 2006. We hear people scream, take their last breath, shoot themselves, we hear callers beg for their loved one that they found unconscious and not breathing not to leave the that they were supposed to go first as we are giving them CPR instructions and they are attempting to do what we are telling them to do until help can arrive. We have to calm down callers during domestics usually by telling the caller to go to another location in away from the other party before help arrives, and many more. We may not physically be on the scene but we are mentally on the scene. We are the first contact in an emergency.

I am a dispatcher for the Caroline County sheriff’s office, during my shift there could be only 3 of us working at a time. I have taken calls where I’ve had to give CPR instructions while both Medics and Deputies get on scene. Im In favor of this bill for many reasons. We are the calm voice in the storm, we are the first person that they call in need. I support all three bills!

Currently, Dispatchers are excluded from the enhanced retirement benefits, despite their critical role in saving lives during emergencies. These unsung heroes are vital to the safety and security of their communities they serve. Per JLARC study of Oct 2023(table 5), there are public safety occupations that have the same level of physical demand as a Dispatcher but less public safety responsibility that currently receive enhanced benefits. The stress, combined with the 24-7 nature of the job, has made it hard to attract and retain workers. This will help recruit and retain dispatchers. Dispatchers are just like other public safety first responders. They work in bad weather, holidays and weekends. While the Clerks of court and Clerks of the county are off. Please help to stop this disparity against Dispatchers. I would like to give my support to this bill. Please pass this bill and allow local governments, have the option to provide enhanced retirement benefits for full-time salaried dispatchers.

This Bill will provide local governments the option to elect provide enhanced retirement benefits for hazardous duty service to full-time salaried dispatchers. There is a corresponding bill that includes Virginia State Police Dispatchers. Per the JLARC report on Eligibility of Public Safety Occupations for Enhanced Retirement Benefits (Oct 2023): Virginia does not have an official policy for when/who enhanced retirement benefits should be provided for public safety officials, nor were any policies identified that have been developed nationally across states. However, Virginia has generally recognized the primary rationale for providing enhanced retirement benefits to certain public safety occupations is that the physical and psychological demands of the job make their job responsibilities more difficult to perform as individuals age. A 911 Dispatcher job performance can vastly affect the safety of members of the public and other employees that could diminish with age. Without a dispatcher responder will not know what is going on or get updates on calls. A JLARC from Oct 2023 study showed that 911 Dispatchers have the same level of public safety responsibility as State Troopers, Local Police, Deputy Sheriff’s, Capital Police Officers, Firefighters, EMT’s, and Jail staff. (JLARC Study Oct 2023 table 5) While a Dispatchers physical level of demand is not high. They are regularly exposed to traumatic incidents over the phone, such as domestic violence or individuals in crisis, according to the JLARC survey of public safety occupations and JLARC staff interviews. As a result, they have moderate to high rates of mental health-related workers’ compensation claims. Per JLARC study of Oct 2023(table 5), there are public safety occupations that have the same level of demand as a Dispatcher but less public safety responsibility that currently receive enhanced benefits. A dispatcher starts the call. They participate remotely when their units on scene of calls. They do safety checks on their units. They call for helicopters. They call for tow trucks. They call for Mutual aid when requested. They run Drivers License and Vehicle checks when units are on a call. They send alerts out to citizens about missing person and road closures. They use VCIN to do wanted checks and send request to look for wanted persons on VCIN. They know local landmarks that can help units get to calls quicker. Please help to stop this disparity because Dispatchers. Please pass this bill that would allow local governments, have the option to provide enhanced retirement benefits for full-time salaried dispatchers. Thank you Lisa Harvey

Prince William County submits this endorsement of HB 1564 and HB 1619, allowing local governments to provide enhanced benefits for full time 911 dispatchers. This issue is a priority of this year's county legislative agenda. We would add: • Under current law, localities may provide enhanced benefits to firefighters and emergency medical technicians but not 911 dispatchers. • This allows localities to recognize the integral and invaluable public safety role E911 operators play in their community. • E911 operators have a high and excessive psychological demand and hold and fulfill an enormous communal responsibility (per 2023 JLARC study re: Eligibility of Public Safety Occupations for Enhanced Retirement Benefits). • With a 30% turnover rate for E911 dispatchers, the ability to offer enhanced retirement benefits will help to retain these valued employees. • E911 dispatchers are ranked as one of the most stressful occupations. • This legislation is optional for localities. • It’s time for Virginia to join the 19 other states that have passed similar legislation. We thank the subcommittee for their consideration of this request. Glynn Loope, Legislative Liaison for Prince William County.

Do you remember any time you have called 911? Who was the 1st person you spoke with? Who was verbal presence and be the calm voice that helped you? Who was the person that started help? A Dispatcher!! It is long overdue for dispatchers to be treated with the same rights and privileges as first responders just as the responders with whom they share the highest public safety responsibilities. I will leave with a quote from Dr. Seuss “To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.

I have been dispatching for 12 years. This Bill would allow me to have the same disability benefits that my newer hired dispatchers receive from the Hybrid Retirement Plan disability program benefit. I have seen where someone in plan 1 who was out on FMLA for having a baby and she did not have enough accrued time for the full 12 weeks of FMLA., she did not receive paycheck towards the end of her FMLA. However, a different person (who the other person on FMLA Trained) in hybrid plan took FLMA got paid with the Hybrid Retirement Plan disability benefit for the full 12 weeks and did have to use all their accrued time. The Hybrid Retirement Plan disability program doesn't not fully pay it pays 66 percent that would help save accrued time usage. This would make all Dispatchers equal for Retirement Plan disability benefit from VRS. Thank you

I am in my 13 year of dispatching for Caroline County Sheriff's Office. I have been a supervisor for 2 years. I was 45 years old when I started my career as a 911 Dispatcher. This career has been very rewarding in so many ways and it has been very emotional, upsetting, anxious, frustrating, heartbreaking. I attended a supervisor course 2 years and and found out that I do have triggers from doing this job. If I am near someone that is playing out loud a video of people arguing, fighting, screaming I immediately become anxious and angry. If I know the person they have to turn it off or I have to get away from the sound. Most of us have some sort of PTSD, sounds, visuals, the news, storms, snow everyone has a trigger. Let's talk about being a "First Responder", WE are the first on scene. Dispatchers are the first to take the call from someone that is sick, someone found their spouse unconscious and not breathing, Dispatchers are the first to give CPR instructions. We are the voice on the phone to separate a civil or domestic situation. WE (I) am the one that can still hear a 19 yo daughter crying to her mom "please don't leave me" as her mom is having a stroke. This is only a few examples. There are so many that all of us have that we try to compartmentalize. I am in favor of all 3 bills! Please recognize 911 Dispatchers as "First Responders!

This is long over due. please pass this bill

Please refer this bill to the full committee for consideration. This bill would give the locality option to receive enhanced retirement benefits to 911 dispatchers. Under current law, localities may provide enhanced benefits to firefighters and emergency medical technicians but not 911 dispatchers. Without 911 dispatchers no 1st responded would ever be dispatched to an incident.

Without 911 dispatchers, no first responder would ever be dispatched on an incident. Dispatchers experience many of the same psychological trauma and stressors as law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel. Dispatchers are the first link in the chain between someone experiencing or observing something terrible and getting the proper assistance to them efficiently. They make decisions in spilt seconds that have a lasting impact on the outcome of an emergency. These 911 personnel are exposed to same stressors that personnel on scene experience. It is demanding work with extended hours, few breaks, and around-the-clock, get-it-right-the-first-time service expectations from the same citizens who expect law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians to do the same. Please pass this so that all first responders in the Commonwealth have the same benefits.

I support these 3 because I have been a 911 Dispatcher for over 30 years. I have answered calls of many types including my brothers suicide call back in 2006. We hear people scream, take their last breath, shoot themselves, we hear callers beg for their loved one that they found unconscious and not breathing not to leave the that they were supposed to go first as we are giving them CPR instructions and they are attempting to do what we are telling them to do until help can arrive. We have to calm down callers during domestics usually by telling the caller to go to another location in away from the other party before help arrives, and many more. We may not physically be on the scene but we are mentally on the scene. We are the first contact in an emergency.

I am a dispatcher for the Caroline County sheriff’s office, during my shift there could be only 3 of us working at a time. I have taken calls where I’ve had to give CPR instructions while both Medics and Deputies get on scene. Im In favor of this bill for many reasons. We are the calm voice in the storm, we are the first person that they call in need. I support all three bills!

Currently, Dispatchers are excluded from the enhanced retirement benefits, despite their critical role in saving lives during emergencies. These unsung heroes are vital to the safety and security of their communities they serve. Per JLARC study of Oct 2023(table 5), there are public safety occupations that have the same level of physical demand as a Dispatcher but less public safety responsibility that currently receive enhanced benefits. The stress, combined with the 24-7 nature of the job, has made it hard to attract and retain workers. This will help recruit and retain dispatchers. Dispatchers are just like other public safety first responders. They work in bad weather, holidays and weekends. While the Clerks of court and Clerks of the county are off. Please help to stop this disparity against Dispatchers. I would like to give my support to this bill. Please pass this bill and allow local governments, have the option to provide enhanced retirement benefits for full-time salaried dispatchers.

I am Commissioner Rapaport available to address any questions regarding HB1933 relating to the throat cancer bill.