Every day, 9-1-1 professionals are the first line of defense in times of crisis, providing vital support to those in need. These dedicated individuals are the unsung heroes who save lives, yet they remain classified as administrative/clerical workers. It's time to recognize the critical role they play in public safety and reclassify them as a 'protective service occupation.' Sign this petition to stand with our 9-1-1 heroes and ensure they receive the recognition and support they truly deserve. 

This is a zero cost change that will not affect your tax dollars. 

What’s the issue?

The federal government’s catalogue of occupations, the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC), categorizes 9-1-1 Public Safety Telecommunicators (PSTs) as an administrative/clerical occupation, but there is a much more appropriate “protective” category. The SOC is supposed to group occupations by the nature of the work performed. 9-1-1 professionals save and protect lives every day. Therefore, instead of being considered clerical personnel, they should be with the “Protective Service Occupations” – a broad group that includes several occupations that perform work that is less protective than PSTs’.

Cohen, J. (2021, January 28). APCO International’s Public Safety Communications Priorities for the New Year. Apcointl.org. Retrieved November 8, 2023, from https://www.apcointl.org/

 

APCO Welcomes Reintroduction of the 9-1-1 Saves Act

Today, Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA) and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), along with several of their colleagues, reintroduced the Supporting Accurate Views of Emergency Services Act of 2023, or the “9-1-1 SAVES Act.” If enacted, this bipartisan legislation would require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to categorize public safety telecommunicators as Protective Service Occupations in the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). The SOC is maintained solely for statistical purposes. Public safety telecommunicators are currently classified as administrative/clerical in nature, which is outdated and inaccurate. Reclassification is about appropriately recognizing the critical, “protective” work public safety telecommunicators do every day. 

Additionally, including public safety telecommunicators in the Protective Service group would make the SOC a more accurate and therefore more useful statistical resource. The 9-1-1 SAVES Act is a legislative fix that has broad support from the 9-1-1 community and others familiar with their lifesaving work.

APCO first attempted to correct the classification in 2014, petitioning OMB, the agency responsible for the SOC. APCO described the protective work performed by public safety telecommunicators and how it has evolved since the SOC was created. OMB offered several justifications for maintaining the status quo, and despite APCO’s comprehensive rebuttals, OMB declined to fix the classification. APCO has collaborated with Representatives Torres and Fitzpatrick since 2019 to seek a legislative solution. More on APCO's efforts on reclassification.

“The work performed by public safety telecommunicators is 100% ‘protective,’” APCO CEO Derek K. Poarch said. “This is a common-sense, zero-cost change that can and should immediately be made to recognize the lifesaving nature of 9-1-1 professionals’ work. APCO thanks Reps. Torres and Fitzpatrick for their continued leadership on this issue, and we’re ready to do whatever we can to fix this once and for all.”

APCO International (2023, November 8). APCO Welcomes Reintroduction of the 9-1-1 Saves Act. Apco.

About APCO

Aligning APCO’s Advocacy Priorities With Our Members’ Needs

APCO’s 2023 Advocacy Priorities

OMB Denies Reclassification in 2016