In case you missed it, at the end of 2023 APCO welcomed a new Senate bill – the Enhancing First Response Act (S. 3556) – that would fix the federal classification of 9-1-1 professionals, improve the information shared during 9-1-1 outages, and examine the enhancements being made for 9-1-1 calls made from multi-line telephone systems. This Senate bill complements the House version of the 9-1-1 SAVES Act, creating alternative strategic paths for achieving reclassification. APCO worked closely with the bill’s co-sponsors to develop the language and will continue to collaborate with them on the strategy for achieving several improvements for public safety communications. APCO also published a blog recapping nearly ten years of advocacy to fix the federal classification. The blog reflects on the various arguments APCO has rebutted and the substantial efforts of our membership and supporters to effect this common-sense change.
