SB 536 — 911 Services

Florida Senate - 2019 CS for CS for SB 536 By the CommitteeCommittees on Innovation,Appropriations; Industry, and Technology;

and SenatorsInnovation, BrandesIndustry, and PerryTechnology; 580-02955-19 2019536c1 A bill to be entitled An act relating to 911 services;

and Senators Brandes, Perry, and Book 576-04621-19 2019536c2 A bill to be entitled An act relating to 911 services;

requiring counties to develop a plan for implementing a text-to-911 system and to implement a system to receive E911 text messages by a specified date;

requiring that the Technology Program within the Department of Management Services develop and implement a plan to require that emergency dispatchers be able to transfer an emergency call from one E911 system to another E911 system in this state;

defining the terms “first responders”responder agency” and “911 public safety answering point”point”; or “PSAP”;

requiring aeach PSAPsheriff, toin becollaboration ablewith tocertain directlyfirst communicateresponder byagencies, radioto withenter firstinto responders;specified written agreements;

requiring each sheriff,agreement into collaborationrequire witha firstPSAP respondersto inbe hisable or her county, to enterdirectly intocommunicate specifiedwith writtenfirst agreements;responder agencies;

requiring each PSAP to installbe localable firstto responderbroadcast radiocertain dispatchemergency channelscommunications inand itspublic emergencysafety communicationsinformation; center;

requiring a law enforcement agency headheads to authorize the installation of histheir or her agency’s primary dispatch channel or channels on certain other law enforcement agency’sagency mobile or portable radios, upon request;

providing an exception;

3127 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

3329 Section 1. Present1. Subsection subsection(3) (15) of section 365.172, Florida Statutes, is redesignatedamended as subsection (16), a new subsection (15) is added to that section, and subsection (3) of that section is amended, to read:

(15) TEXT-TO-911 SERVICE.—Each county shall develop a countywide implementation plan for text-to-911 services and, by January 1, 2022, have in place a system to receive E911 text messages from providers.

365.177 Transfer of E911 calls between systems.— (1) The office shall develop and implement a plan by JanuaryFebruary 1, 2020, to require that a 911 public safety telecommunicator, when deemed prudent and requested by a caller or when deemed necessary, be able to transfer an emergency call from one local, multijurisdictional, or regional E911 system to another local, multijurisdictional, or regional E911 system in this state.

(2) In developing and implementing this plan, the office shall:

Section 3. The3. (1) The Legislature finds that there is an important state interest is served in protecting the public safety by ensuring that 911 telecommunications are routed to the most appropriate 911 system in the most expeditious manner possiblepossible. in order to protect public safety.

Thus,A a proper and legitimate state purpose is servedachieved when local government 911 public safety telecommunicators are able to transfertransfer, and receive transfers ofof, emergency calls to and from other local, multijurisdictional, or regional E911 systems in this state.

Therefore,(2) The the Legislature also finds andthat declaresan important state interest is served in protecting the public safety by ensuring that thiseach act911 fulfillspublic ansafety importantanswering statepoint interest.is capable of direct radio communications with first responder agency dispatchers within the surrounding area for which the public safety answering point would not otherwise provide dispatch.

A proper and legitimate state purpose is achieved when a public safety answering point that receives an emergency communication is able to save crucial time by immediately conveying critical emergency information to first responder agency dispatchers to dispatch first responders.

(3) Therefore, the Legislature finds and declares that this act fulfills an important state interest.

(a) “First responders”responder agency” includes theeach law enforcement agencies,agency and fire service agencies,agency, other than a state agency, and each emergency managementmedical services providersprovider, that areis designated as a primary first respondersresponder for the service area in which a PSAP911 public safety answering point receives 911 calls.

(b) “911 public safety answering point” or “PSAP” means a municipal or county emergency communications or 911 call center in this state whichthat receives cellular, landline, or texttext-to-911 911 communications.

(2) A(2) Each PSAPsheriff, mustin becollaboration ablewith toall directlyfirst communicateresponder byagency radioheads within his or her county, shall facilitate the development and execution of written interlocal agreements between all primary first responders.responder agencies within the county.

TheEach PSAPagreement must beestablish ablewritten toprotocols makethat suchoutline communicationcircumstances withoutand havingpublic tosafety transferemergencies under which a 911PSAP callwill ordirectly havingprovide by radio notice of an emergency to relaythe informationon receivedduty duringdispatcher of a 911first callresponder toagency anotherfor which the PSAP ordoes emergencynot communicationsprovide centerprimary fordispatch dispatch.functions.

(3) InEach collaborationagreement withmust allrequire firstthe respondersPSAP into hishave ordirect herradio county,contact each sheriff shall enter into a written agreement with eachprimary first responder toagencies establishand protocolstheir underdispatchers, for which athe PSAP thatmay doesreasonably notreceive dispatch911 callscommunications, forwithout ahaving firstto respondertransfer agencya will911 directlycommunication notifyto theanother firstPSAP responderor agency’sdispatch on-dutycenter personnelfor ofdispatch. an emergency by radio.

The agreementmethod mustof requirecomplying the PSAP to be able to communicate with thethis personnelrequirement withoutshall havingbe toestablished transferby the 911first callresponder for dispatch to that agency orheads havingand toset relayforth thein informationeach receivedinterlocal duringagreement. a 911 call by telephone or other indirect means.

(4) Each(3) Each PSAP shallmust install,be incapable atof leastimmediately onebroadcasting dispatch911 consolecommunications withinor itspublic emergencysafety communicationsinformation center,over the primary radio dispatch channels of each first responder agency in the county it serves.serves where the PSAP may reasonably receive 911 calls in the first responder’s service area.

If therea arecounty multipleor PSAPsjurisdiction inhas amultiple county,PSAPs, each PSAP must have this capability.

(5) Upon(4) Unless thetechnologically precluded due to radio incompatibility, upon written request offrom a law enforcement agency head, anya other law enforcement agency head in the same county or in an adjoiningadjacent jurisdiction in another county shallmust authorize the requesting agency to install the otherresponding agency’s primary dispatch channel or channels in the requesting agency’s PSAP, dispatch center, or mobile or portable radios.

(6) By(5) Each Januaryprimary 1,first 2020,responder eachagency, countyPSAP, sheriffand shalldispatch certifycenter inwithin writingeach tocounty theshall Departmenttrain ofall Lawapplicable Enforcementpersonnel thatregarding allthe PSAPsprocedures inand hisprotocols orspecified herin countythe areinterlocal inagreements compliancemade withpursuant to this section.

This training shall also include radio functionality and how to readily access the necessary dispatch channels in accordance with the interlocal agreements.

(6) By January 1, 2020, each sheriff shall provide to the Department of Law Enforcement:

(a) A copy of each interlocal agreement made between the primary first responder agencies within his or her county pursuant to this section;

and (b) Written certification that all PSAPs in his or her county are in compliance with this section.