Indiana lawmakers nearer to adopting minimum 911 training requirements
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A state senator on Thursday said new minimum training requirements for emergency dispatchers could save precious time.
Public safety dispatchers in Indiana currently are required to learn how to give CPR instructions over the phone, but Indiana has no statewide training standard.
Sen. Michael Crider, a Greenfield Republican, said more than 30 states set minimum training requirements for dispatchers, and it’s time for Indiana to do the same.
“The same types of requirements already exist for police and firefighters across the state and these folks want to hold themselves to a higher standard,” he said. “They’re actually asking for this requirement to be put in place.”
Crider’s bill would require all public safety dispatchers to undergo 40 hours of basic training before they begin their jobs. Topics would have to include National Incident Management Systems courses, and a course on the Indiana Data and Communications System, as well as the CPR requirement. Once dispatchers are trained, they would have to undergo an additional 24 hours of refresher training every year. Public safety agencies would cover the costs and could apply for reimbursement from the state’s 911 board. Crider said about 75% of dispatchers in Indiana already meet those requirements.
The measure passed the Senate unanimously in January after garnering sponsors from both parties. On Thursday morning, the House advanced the bill past the amendment stage without making any changes. The bill was scheduled late Thursday for a final vote in the House on Monday. If approved by the House, the measure would go to Gov. Eric Holcomb for his consideration.
Crider said the bill arose not from any particular incident but rather conversations with dispatchers in his hometown. He said he started working on it last summer, around the same time lawmakers began debating whether to classify public safety dispatchers as first responders, thereby making them eligible for certain benefits.
If the bill passes, Crider said existing dispatchers would have until the end of 2023 to complete any training needed to satisfy the state’s requirements.