Senate panel advances resolution urging federal reclassification of 911 dispatchers

The Alaska Senate Labor and Commerce Committee unanimously advanced a resolution Monday urging Congress to reclassify emergency dispatchers from clerical workers to protective service workers.

House Joint Resolution 38 asks Congress to pass the Enhancing First Response Act, which would move emergency response dispatchers into the protective service classification alongside firefighters, police officers, and corrections officers. The change would give dispatchers access to federal training, grant opportunities, and wellness resources currently unavailable to them under their clerical designation.

"Currently, the Federal Standard Occupational Classification System, emergency response dispatchers are considered clerical," Representative Carolyn Hall said. "And as a result, that means that they do not have access to the same federal benefits that their first responder colleagues have in the protective service class."

The federal government classifies 911 dispatchers in the same category as secretaries and office clerks, despite the life-or-death nature of their work. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Enhancing First Response Act (S.725) on September 10, 2024, and the companion 911 SAVES Act (H.R. 637) was reintroduced in the U.S. House on January 16, 2025.

Frances Robinson, a 19-year dispatcher with the City and Borough of Juneau, testified about managing emergencies that go far beyond typical office work. She described coordinating resources during a structure fire in which a firefighter became trapped, coaching callers through CPR, and guiding people through childbirth over the phone.

"I was the calm voice reassuring a teenager that help was on the way, providing instructions to keep herself safe while trapped in her home while it was on fire," Robinson said. "Sadly, the fire ultimately claimed her father's life. This is beyond the scope of a typical office and administrative support staff."

Robinson also managed the radio channel when the roof collapsed on a local CrossFit gym, coordinating multiple agencies while firefighters performed rescues under the threat of a secondary collapse.

"The 911 telecommunicators in our community are critically important public safety personnel," Robinson said. "We are the first point of contact and only have our voice to try and reassure callers help is on the way. We rarely get closure. Once we hang up, we are immediately ready for the next crisis, often not getting the opportunity to process what we just heard."

Erin Kelwora, public safety manager for the City and Borough of Juneau, also testified in support of the resolution. Kelwora manages programs for both police and fire departments, including the 911 system and communications center staffing.