On July 10, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce passed an amended version of the 911 SAVES Act (H.R. 6319), which would direct the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to consider reclassifying 9-1-1 professionals as "Protective Service" personnel in the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system.

NENA is obviously disappointed that this version of the bill strays from the language of previous iterations, which would have explicitly directed OMB to reclassify 9-1-1 professionals into the "Protective Service Occupation" category. However, this same approach was applied to any bill that dealt with a requested reclassification; all of them were changed from "directing" OMB to act to asking OMB to "consider" action. 

Click here to write to your Senators to keep the legislative momentum for 911 SAVES moving forward and see the introduction of a companion bill in the Senate!

Also, the Office of Management and Budget recently announced their review of the Standard Occupational Classification manual. On behalf of our members, NENA will be filing comments recommending the reclassification of 9-1-1 telecommunicators into the "Protective Service Occupation" category. While it is not essential that you submit your own comments, NENA offers this commenting-guidance document to anyone wishing to do so; this will ensure your submission is effective and provides the specific, objective, and research-based information that OMB looks for when considering a reclassification request. 

Click here to read more. 

Financial literacy is rarely taught in general education these days, and recent inflation spikes have brought about additional stress on public-safety professionals. By learning the basics of financial literacy and budgeting you can reduce some of the stress in your personal life. Attend to: 

• Learn why personal finance is essential to wellness and stress management;
• Understand the basics of building a budget; and
• Develop a plan for your long-term financial success.

We have changed webinar platforms and added new attendee benefits!
NENA is excited to be using a new online-learning platform for our #WebinarWednesday offerings. On the day of the webinar, you will need to be logged in to your nena.org account, so please note your username and password. Once logged in, you can access the live webinar via the link in your registration-confirmation email.

Once the webinar concludes, you will be able to complete a knowledge check and fill out an evaluation to receive a certificate of completion.

If you can't attend the live broadcast, then you can watch the webinar on-demand and/or download presentation materials via the same link from your registration email the day after the live webinar airs.

Can't attend on the 31st? Register now and watch later via the link in your registration-confirmation email.

Presenter: Casey Flemings, ENP – Hamilton County (TN) 9-1-1 Emergency Communications District

CEUs: Attend this webinar and receive one-half ENP re-certification point.

Webinar Access Info: Live and on-demand webinar link provided automatically via email upon registration.

Questions? Contact Carol Workman with the NENA Education team.

NENA: The 9-1-1 Association seeks qualified candidates to serve as the VP, Education & Training.

The VP, Education & Training oversees and directs NENA’s educational offerings including the development, and delivery of in-person courses, webinars, and online training. The incumbent is responsible for identifying industry trends and future educational needs. This position oversees NENA’s contract instructors, as well as two full-time staff positions. Position responsibilities include:

• Develop a vision and plan for the future of NENA’s education and training programs.
•  Manage 200+ courses per year and coordinates ~30 instructors who are in the field doing online and in-person course delivery.
• Evaluate current processes, courses, platforms, etc. Identify ways to improve and implement educational products and processes.
• Evaluate the effectiveness and impact of courses and other offerings.
• Oversee and manage the education budget and expenditures.
• Oversee the management and updating of course content, working with stakeholders to ensure course content is relevant and accurate.
• Oversee operation of, and development of content for, Learning Management System (LMS).
• Work in tandem with the volunteer-driven Education Advisory Board to ensure the program is current and following industry trends. 

Click here to learn more.

On July 18, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a new framework to facilitate the transition to Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) by establishing rules that provide a fair and reasonable path towards fully implementing NG9-1-1 services across the United States.

Under the new rules, which were approved unanimously, Originating Service Providers (OSPs)—including phone and internet companies—face a critical timeline. They must connect to NG9-1-1 core services networks with Internet Protocol (IP) and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) within 6 to 12 months of receiving a request from a local 9-1-1 center. After completing this initial connection, OSPs have an additional 6 to 12 months after receiving a second request to fully upgrade their system to handle NG9-1-1-compliant calls. These rules also empower local governments to tailor transition timelines and requirements to best suit their specific local circumstances.

Click here to read more.