Legislature(2009 - 2010)HOUSE FINANCE 519
04/05/2010 09:00 AM House FINANCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB190 | |
| HB361 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 190 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 361 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HOUSE BILL NO. 361
"An Act requiring 911 dispatchers to be trained in
cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and providing for an
effective date."
10:20:06 AM
Representative Fairclough informed the committee that
Alaska was one of the few states that do not require
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training through
statute for all 911 dispatchers. She believed the training
should be required. She noted that the issue was complex.
CRYSTAL KOENEMAN, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE ANNA FAIRCLOUGH,
SPONSOR, explained that HB 361 (version A) would request a
911 coordinator to monitor and facilitate the training of
emergency dispatchers in CPR and require that dispatchers
be trained in CPR. Alaska is one of 18 states that do not
mandate the training.
Ms. Koeneman reviewed background regarding the location of
the 911 coordinator. In 2004, there was an omnibus bill
stipulating that the coordinator be housed within the
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) because
federal grant money was anticipated that required a 911
coordinator within the state. There has been debate about
whether DMVA or the Department of Public Safety (DPS)
should house the position.
Representative Fairclough added that the committee could
choose under the proposed CS to include CPR training, which
would put into state statute a standard already required
through regulation in other forms of training throughout
the state. She noted that DMVA had asked to move the
coordinator position over to DPS and it was discovered that
little had been done in coordinating, monitoring, and
training dispatchers of emergency medical services
throughout the state. The department provided a fiscal
note. Ms. Koeneman interjected that there was no fiscal
note for the new CS. The House Heath, Education, and Social
Services Committee (HES) had adopted a blank CS that moved
the position to DPS.
Co-Chair Hawker queried the version of the bill being
discussed. Ms. Koeneman replied that she was referring to
Version R (blank CS) that was adopted in HES; that version
did not move from committee because they were unable to get
a fiscal note from the department even after the CS was
adopted. The HES committee did not feel comfortable
bringing the bill to the Finance Committee with an unknown
fiscal note. Version A moved out of HES.
Co-Chair Hawker summarized that the bill introduced to the
committee was Version A; the differentiation was the
housing location of the coordinator. He queried the
language being proposed for amendment in the A version. The
language was put into statute some years ago to establish
the coordinator in DMVA. He asked whether there was a
person filling the position at DMVA currently.
MIKE O'HARE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF HOMELAND
SECURITY/EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND
VETERANS AFFAIRS (via teleconference), responded that there
was not a person filling the position. He provided
background. In 2004, a Senate bill was brought before the
House Rules Committee that included the additional duties
of the 911 coordinator to the DMVA Division of Homeland
Security and Emergency Management in an effort to secure
potential federal grant dollars for 911 enhancements. A
prerequisite for receiving the grant funding was having a
coordinator designation in place; the responsibilities were
to coordinate 911 communications in communities around the
state, set uniform standards for 911, look for federal
grant monies for 911, and enhance capabilities. The
position was an "other duties as assigned" position with no
funding. The federal grants did not materialize.
10:27:45 AM
Co-Chair Hawker summarized that the legislature had
provided for the position in the 2004 legislation but had
not funded the position with a fiscal note, and that the
position has never been funded by the legislature; there
was only the hope that federal grant money would be
available. Mr. O'Hare agreed.
Co-Chair Hawker summarized that the position existed, was
not funded, and was not filled. He thought the next
question proposed in the legislation was moving the
coordinator to DPS and securing funding for it. The funding
question in HES had resulted in reverting to the A version.
He queried the perspective of DPS.
SUE STANCLIFF, SPECIAL ASSISTANT, OFFICE OF THE
COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, was uneasy about
referring to a CS that had not yet been adopted by the
Finance Committee. Co-Chair Hawker said she could answer
the questions under the hypothetical that the position was
moved from DMVA to DPS.
Ms. Stancliff replied that DPS had worked with the bill
sponsor and was willing to take the responsibility on. The
department believed a real coordinator would be needed and
had prepared a fiscal note to that effect.
Co-Chair Hawker asked how much funding the agency would
request. Ms. Stancliff replied that the fiscal note would
require one full-time person to act as the 911 coordinator;
the initial cost to set up the position for FY 11 would be
$162,700; future years would require $151,000, which
included the required CPA training.
10:31:45 AM
Co-Chair Hawker asked whether the committee wanted more
information about the coordinator position.
Representative Kelly summarized that another state employee
would be added at significant cost. He commented that most
areas already had the certification and asked whether the
issue was a local one.
AUDIE HOLLOWAY, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF ALASKA STATE
TROOPERS, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, testified in support
of the CPR qualifications, which the department thought
were very important. He added that state troopers and about
several thousand eighth-graders would be working with the
American Heart Association to get more CPR training out to
everyone.
Mr. Holloway stated that the issue was the disparity
between what is available in urban and rural areas.
Currently, nearly any person with a cell phone or land line
thinks they can call 911 and reach a live person; that is
not the case in many Alaskan rural villages. He reported
that the department had not been doing as much as they
should with 911 because the coordinator position was
expected to address the issue.
Mr. Holloway informed the committee that the department had
discovered that over 60 percent of business and 911 calls
were made from cell phones. Most of the state trooper 911
centers are subcontracted through local agencies; they have
a good working relationship that they want to maintain.
Many of the 911 calls were going to many different places
and not necessarily to a Public Safety Answering Point
(PSAP) qualified to provide 911 services. Some of the calls
were going to business offices within a village or city
that could be closed, a village public safety officer's
phone, or a recorder saying "call 911." He did not think
the public was being served as well as it should be.
10:36:20 AM
Mr. Holloway referenced changing technology and believed
the department should be prepared to collect information
from more than just a phone call. He thought the 911
coordinator position was needed to set up the policies,
procedures, education, and training necessary to meet the
public's expectation of what services should be available.
For instance, the public should be able to send text
messages and photographs and be able to use a cell phone to
call 911 and get somewhere productive. Currently, there are
places in the state where it is not clear where the 911
call would end up, causing delays while the call is moved
to the appropriate place.
Mr. Holloway hoped for collaboration with local personnel
so that when they could not provide a response there would
be an ultimate PSAP number that would be able to offer
assistance. He also hoped to know more about developing
technology and work with communication providers (such as
the Alaska Telephone Association) interested in helping the
state with the issue. Providers are mandated by law to send
911 calls to someplace where the calls will be answered;
there currently is a lot of confusion about where to send
the calls.
Mr. Holloway stressed that the priority was that a person
dialing 911 would get an answer from a person.
10:39:11 AM
Co-Chair Hawker queried funding sources for the position.
He asked whether there was a way to access 911 surcharges.
Mr. Holloway believed that the state did not get the
surcharges; local organizations did.
Co-Chair Hawker thought something was missing regarding the
funding source.
Representative Fairclough supported the fiscal note. She
noted that the 911 system needed structure and that the
lack of structure was putting communities at risk. She
pointed out that requiring CPR could be put on statute, and
that communities need to develop procedures for local
protocol standards. The CS could allow the state to work
with individual communities to set up a 911 structure and
standardize training.
Representative Kelly acknowledged that the idea was good,
but pointed out differences in services in different areas
of the state. He referred to law enforcement positions that
had already been approved and stated concerns about another
state employee position. He did not want to promise 911
services immediately, though he wanted that to be a goal.
He also wanted to know how to get a person trained in any
given remote location and what could happen if there was
not such a person. He was concerned about liability as well
as increased costs.
10:43:26 AM
Mr. Holloway responded that the state troopers were
expected to respond as quickly as possible to the calls,
wherever they originated. He thought the choices were
continuing the current practice of letting the system grow
organically and chaotically, or acquiring a coordinator to
organize a set of rules to provide statewide standards for
at least minimal response. He acknowledged that it could
take time to answer calls from remote areas, but thought it
would be faster than the current system. He believed the
state did well getting assistance to people in emergency
situations in difficult circumstances. He pointed out that
there were over 700 search-and-rescue calls each year; the
process could go faster with a more organized system.
Representative Kelly acknowledged the work already being
done. He was concerned about giving the state troopers
another set of conditions and wondered whether the task was
more appropriately left with individual communities. He
reiterated concerns with the fiscal note and an added
employee.
Representative Salmon spoke to challenges in rural
communities. He provided an example of a woman in a village
whose life was saved by a person trained in CPR. He wanted
the system related to CPR training and 911 capability to be
developed further. He stated that he supported the
legislation.
10:48:05 AM
Vice-Chair Thomas stated that he represented what he called
"urban villages," with troopers in Haines, Hoonah, Cordova,
and Craig. He asked who the dispatcher was for the
locations. Mr. Holloway responded that calls for Southeast
usually went through Ketchikan and then local
municipalities.
Vice-Chair Thomas asked how the positions and training
would be funded in the smaller locations. He wondered
whether the burden would be placed back on the
municipalities. Mr. Holloway replied that he shared the
concerns. He pointed out that most communities require CPR
and that the training could be done effectively online. He
hoped that the proposed coordinator position would be able
to access grant funds to train people around the state. He
believed that the state should assist [financially] if it
requires standards. He noted that funds are available.
Vice-Chair Thomas pointed out that volunteer fire
departments in many smaller communities offer CPR training.
He noted that 911 calls do not always go through trooper
dispatch. Mr. Holloway agreed; the state troopers are the
recipient of other people's initial 911 calls through
locals, subcontractors, fire departments, and other local
entities.
Vice-Chair Thomas noted that most commercial fishermen's
calls go through the Coast Guard.
Representative Austerman commented that he wanted a more
in-depth discussion regarding the larger policy issue of a
state-wide 911 system.
10:52:00 AM
CHRIS SHERWIN, VICE-PRESIDENT OF ADVOCACY, PACIFIC MOUNTAIN
AFFILIATE, AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION (via teleconference),
testified in support of HB 361. He reported that the
American Heart Association (AHA) was strongly supportive of
efforts to improve the state's 911 system and of filling
the 911 coordinator position. He agreed that there were a
lot of issues to be worked out and felt that the
coordinator could oversee the process and work with
entities like the AHA. The association specifically
supported putting a system in place that would assure that
a caller could reach a person trained in CPR and able to
walk the caller through until help arrived.
Mr. Sherwin spoke to concerns and possible improvements for
the legislation. The association would like the CPR
training provided to be based on science and have a hands-
on practice component. He pointed out differences between a
person trained in giving CPR and a person trained in how to
provide the instruction to someone else over the phone
(pre-arrival instruction). A standard part of training for
a certified emergency medical dispatcher usually includes
how to provide pre-arrival training over the phone. A
person who is only trained in giving CPR may not be able to
provide the information over the phone. He referred to
screen protocol that can help a person walk a caller
through the process.
10:57:05 AM
Co-Chair Hawker closed public testimony.
Co-Chair Hawker noted that the bill before the committee
was still the original HES version.
HB 361 was HEARD and HELD in Committee for further
consideration.
10:59:26 AM
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 190 CS Work Draft N Version 040210 HB190.pdf |
HFIN 4/5/2010 9:00:00 AM |
HB 190 |
| House Bill 190 SS - 4-2-10.doc |
HFIN 4/5/2010 9:00:00 AM |
HB 190 |
| HB190 Sectional Analysis - FIN - 4-2-10.doc |
HFIN 4/5/2010 9:00:00 AM |
HB 190 |
| HB 361 Sponsor Statement - Electronic.doc |
HFIN 4/5/2010 9:00:00 AM |
HB 361 |
| HB 361 Article.pdf |
HFIN 4/5/2010 9:00:00 AM |
HB 361 |
| HB 361 - Kenai Pen. Borough LTR[1].pdf |
HFIN 4/5/2010 9:00:00 AM |
HB 361 |
| CPRToday_Certification[1].pdf |
HFIN 4/5/2010 9:00:00 AM |
HB 361 |
| Carson City dispatcher helps save a life.pdf |
HFIN 4/5/2010 9:00:00 AM |
HB 361 |
| Brookline 911 dispatcher helps save a life.pdf |
HFIN 4/5/2010 9:00:00 AM |
HB 361 |
| AdultCPRCourse[1].pdf |
HFIN 4/5/2010 9:00:00 AM |
HB 361 |
| Visitor Industry Impacts 3_30.pdf |
HFIN 4/5/2010 9:00:00 AM |
HB 361 |
| HB 361 CS WORK DRAFT 26 LS 1478 R.pdf |
HFIN 4/5/2010 9:00:00 AM |
HB 361 |
| HB 190 Letter Rasmuson Foundation.pdf |
HFIN 4/5/2010 9:00:00 AM |
HB 190 |
| HB 190 NEW FISCAL NOTE HSS.pdf |
HFIN 4/5/2010 9:00:00 AM |
HB 190 |