The PSAP Staffing Crisis Stakeholder Group was formed in 2024 to develop a coordinated 9-1-1 staffing and recruiting effort for all PSAPs. Membership includes representation from state, county and municipal PSAPs. 

Model Job Description

The purpose of developing a model job description is to recruit and retain dedicated 9-1-1 professionals.  The people working in the more than 6,500 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) around the United States and here in Maine are the true first, first responders and should be classified as such. Many of the concerns for police, fire, and EMS personnel when it comes to physical and mental health, compensation, benefits, retirements, etc., are also true for emergency communications specialists. Due to the current federal classification for 9-1-1 professionals, their access to the benefits and resources available to other first responders is not available, accessible, or limited.

The federal government’s Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system currently categorizes 9-1-1 professionals as “Office and Administrative Support Occupations,” along with office clerks and taxicab dispatchers. This is based on an outdated, misinformed view of the work that 9-1-1 professionals do. On any given day, 9-1-1 professionals may initiate life-saving protocols and provide emergency medical instructions; deal with suicidal people; coordinate the dispatch and safe arrival of police, fire, and EMS personnel; and play critical roles in a variety of emergencies, from traffic accidents to large-scale disasters. They receive extensive, specialized training and use complex systems unlike anything used in most administrative and clerical positions. [1]

Disclaimer

For the reasons included previously, the job description template being offered by this stakeholder group  includes language, tasks, and responsibilities that align with the first responder designation.

While the local PSAPs are managed and administered by various means, it is understood that the need to edit this template to comply with local policies and human resource requirements may be necessary and expected. The group requests that clerical job tasks and responsibilities not be added to but could be pared down.

[1] https://www.nena.org/news/694905/NENA-Applauds-Senate-Bill-to-Reclassify-9-1-1-Professionals.htm