Title
A Resolution Of The City Commission Of The City Of Hollywood, Florida, Supporting United States Senate Bill 2061, A Bill Promoting Next Generation Emergency Networks; Directing City Administration To Transmit A Copy Of This Resolution; Providing For Conflicts; Providing For Severability; And Providing An Effective Date.
Body
Staff Recommends: Approval of the attached Resolution.
Explanation:
In 2002, the electorate of Broward County voted overwhelmingly to amend Section 5.03(A) of the Broward County Charter to provide for the establishment and County funding of a communications infrastructure for fire and emergency medical services. On December 6, 2017, the Hollywood City Commission passed and adopted Resolution 2017-366 expressing support for the June 15, 2017, Joint Position Statement of the Broward County, Chiefs of Police Association and the Fire Chiefs Association of Broward County regarding consolidated E-911 communications system.
The regional public safety communications system includes radio infrastructure, including but not limited to towers and radios utilized by public safety professionals and hospitals, the consolidated E-911 system and other supportive platforms and infrastructure. The complexity of the entire public safety communications system requires management expertise in operations of such systems and public safety, as well as technical expertise.
Public safety access points (PSAPs) and first responders within our County are currently not capable of receiving emergency texts to 9-1-1. Cities and the County have not implemented such Next Generation 9-1-1, which would enable texting to PSAPs and first responders, because of the cost. Other areas of the country and Florida do have the capability of obtaining emergency messages via texts to 9-1-1, creating confusion among residents and visitors in our County when seeking to contact first responders to address emergencies.
U.S. Senate Bill 2061 (SB “2061”) has been filed in the United States Senate by Senators Nelson and Klobuchar. SB 2061 proposes to support the deployment of Next Generation 9-1-1 services to enhance and upgrade the Nation’s 9-1-1 systems and provides for new emergency communication functions supporting voice, text, data and video communications allowing people seeking assistance to send text messages to 911 or to transmit photos and video clips from the scene of an accident.
SB 2061 directs federal agencies including the Federal Communications Commission, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and First Responder Network Authority to coordinate on infrastructure deployment and further expands most significantly, federal grants to help state and local governments purchase and install Next Generation 9-1-1 equipment to enable first responders to receive emergency text messages.
The City Commission finds it to be in the best interest of the citizens and residents of the City, as well as all of Broward County, to support changes to enable residents and visitors to text emergency messages to 9-1-1.
Recommended for inclusion on the agenda by:
Dr. Wazir Ishmael, City Manager
Mel Standley, Assistant City Manager of Public Safety
Chris O’Brien, Acting Chief of Police