03/09/2010 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

            HB 361-CPR TRAINING FOR 911 DISPATCHERS                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:06:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MUNOZ announced  that the first order  of business would                                                               
be HOUSE  BILL NO. 361, "An  Act requiring 911 dispatchers  to be                                                               
trained in  cardiopulmonary resuscitation;  and providing  for an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:06:47 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CRYSTAL KOENOMEN,  Staff, Representative Anna  Fairclough, Alaska                                                               
State Legislature, speaking  on behalf of the sponsor  of HB 361,                                                               
Representative Fairclough,  explained that  HB 361  would require                                                               
911 dispatchers  to be  trained in  cardiopulmonary resuscitation                                                               
(CPR).   Existing  statute doesn't  provide  such a  requirement.                                                               
The   sponsor  believes   CPR  training   of  dispatchers   would                                                               
facilitate   and   provide   support  to   those   calling   911.                                                               
Ultimately, she  related, the  sponsor believes  this requirement                                                               
may save lives.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:07:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS asked if HB 361 has a fiscal note.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. KOENOMEN responded that a  fiscal note from the Department of                                                               
Public Safety (DPS) was received this morning.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS  asked if there  are any fiscal  notes from                                                               
the municipalities in the  state.  He then asked if  HB 361 is an                                                               
unfunded mandate.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS.   KOENOMEN   answered  that   no   fiscal   notes  from   the                                                               
municipalities have been  received.  However, she  noted that she                                                               
has spoken with  the municipalities regarding the  impact of this                                                               
legislation on them.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS asked if HB 361  would be the strong arm of                                                               
the state requiring that  dispatchers have certain qualifications                                                               
for which  the employer  has to  pay. He  further asked  how this                                                               
legislation  will   impact  small   communities  that   may  have                                                               
difficulty finding individuals with this requirement.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS.  KOENOMEN related  that in  talking with  various facilities,                                                               
the  dispatchers   are  already  trained  in   emergency  medical                                                               
dispatch,  which includes  CPR.   Therefore,  there  would be  no                                                               
extra  cost  for  those  who are  already  trained  as  emergency                                                               
medical dispatchers.   For those  dispatchers who  aren't already                                                               
trained  as  emergency medical  dispatchers,  there  would be  an                                                               
associated cost.   She informed the committee that  an online CPR                                                               
training  course costs  $20 and  group  discounts are  available.                                                               
Ms. Koenomen said  [the committee] would have to  weigh whether a                                                               
life is worth an extra $20.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:10:45 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TAMMY  GOGGIA, 911  Dispatch, Kenai  Peninsula Borough,  began by                                                               
referring  to  a letter  dated  March  8,  2010, from  the  Kenai                                                               
Peninsula Borough  mayor.   She then  added that  she understands                                                               
the  purpose and  intent behind  HB  361, but  proposed that  the                                                               
execution of a CPR mandate doesn't  address the root cause of the                                                               
problem  that exists  in  Alaska.   The  problem  in Alaska,  she                                                               
opined, is  the lack of  mandated minimum training  standards for                                                               
public  safety   dispatchers.    She  further   opined  that  CPR                                                               
certification   doesn't  adequately   prepare  a   public  safety                                                               
dispatcher to  give CPR  instructions over the  phone.   Taking a                                                               
caller through  a 911 call  and giving CPR  instructions requires                                                               
an approved emergency medical  training program and certification                                                               
program,  which is  currently in  place in  the [Kenai]  dispatch                                                               
center.   However, she noted  that the aforementioned  program is                                                               
not a requirement  of the state.  The  approved emergency medical                                                               
training program  is part of  a quality assurance  program, which                                                               
ensures compliance,  protocol, and  a sponsoring physician.   Ms.                                                               
Goggia  related  her  professional  opinion  that  Alaska  should                                                               
embrace   the  concept   of   minimum   training  standards   and                                                               
certification for public safety  dispatchers.  The aforementioned                                                               
would  require   developing  legislative  language   for  minimum                                                               
training  requirements for  public  safety  dispatchers and  then                                                               
using  those standards  as  a measurement  of  performance.   The                                                               
aforementioned will save lives, she said.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:12:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GARDNER  expressed   interest  in  obtaining  Ms.                                                               
Goggia's written testimony.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. GOGGIA agreed to provide her testimony to the committee.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:13:12 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GARDNER   inquired  as  to  the   funding  that's                                                               
required  for the  training that  occurs in  the Kenai  Peninsula                                                               
Borough.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS.  GOGGIA   explained  that  the  emergency   medical  dispatch                                                               
training funding  comes from  the 911  surcharge collected.   The                                                               
Kenai Peninsula  Borough dispatch  center is  a multi-disciplined                                                               
center  from  which  police,  fire,   and  medical  services  are                                                               
dispatched.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:14:34 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER inquired as  to the Department of Military                                                               
& Veterans' Affairs' opinion of HB 361.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:14:39 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MICHAEL   O'HARE,   Deputy   Director,   Division   of   Homeland                                                               
Security/Emergency   Management,   Department   of   Military   &                                                               
Veterans' Affairs (DMVA), related  DMVA's support for the concept                                                               
of the legislation, but said much  work needs to be done as there                                                               
are many  agencies involved.   He assured the committee  that the                                                               
department will continue  to work [with the sponsor]  in order to                                                               
have a good piece of legislation.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:15:20 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HERRON asked  if the fiscal note is  for 911 dispatchers                                                               
who   work  for   the  state   or  who   have  a   contract  with                                                               
municipalities.    He  further  asked if  the  legislation  is  a                                                               
mandate to  911 dispatchers who  aren't connected with  the state                                                               
system.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS.  KOENOMEN  related her  understanding  that  the fiscal  note                                                               
impacts  the Alaska  State Troopers  and  only those  dispatchers                                                               
within DPS, not those within municipalities.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  HERRON  pointed  out  that some  hub  communities  have                                                               
contracts  with the  Alaska State  Troopers for  [certain hours].                                                               
Therefore, he  related his  assumption that  in those  cases, the                                                               
state  would  be   required  to  pay  for   those  municipal  911                                                               
dispatchers.   He  related his  further understanding  that there                                                               
would be no impact to those  911 dispatchers not connected to the                                                               
statewide system.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:16:48 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS  asked if DMVA  views HB 361 as  a hardship                                                               
to any small community.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. O'HARE related  that the effectiveness of  911 dispatchers is                                                               
highly  dependent  upon  infrastructure.   As  the  committee  is                                                               
aware,   smaller   communities   have   minimal   infrastructure.                                                               
However,  everyone knows  each other  in the  smaller communities                                                               
and thus the  location of an individual can  be determined fairly                                                               
quick.  The  concept of the legislation is great,  but whether it                                                               
will  cause  financial  hardship  is something  that  has  to  be                                                               
addressed.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS clarified that he  is supportive of HB 361,                                                               
but  expressed  the  need  to  be  aware  of  unknown  unintended                                                               
consequences.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:19:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  HERRON moved  to report  HB 361  out of  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being no objection, it was so ordered.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:19:34 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 8:19 a.m. to 8:20 a.m.