Minnesota Session Laws - 1990, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1990 

                        CHAPTER 490-S.F.No. 2026 
           An act relating to health; authorizing the creation of 
          a technical advisory task force for emergency dispatch 
          services; requiring the submission of a 
          multidisciplinary report on training needs of 
          emergency dispatchers operating within 911 systems. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
     Section 1.  [ADVISORY TASK FORCE FOR EMERGENCY DISPATCH 
SERVICES.] 
    Subdivision 1.  [PURPOSE.] The legislature requires the 
assistance of persons, organizations, and agencies involved in 
the regulation, management, and dispatching of emergency 
medical, fire protection, and law enforcement services in 
preparing recommendations on:  
    (1) appropriate skill levels and related training needs of 
emergency dispatchers operating within the 911 system; 
    (2) the cost of assuring that these skill levels are met 
and retained by all appropriate personnel; and 
    (3) the appropriate roles of state and local government in 
the attainment of recommended skill levels.  
    Subd. 2.  [DISPATCHING SKILLS TASK FORCE.] Not later than 
60 days following the effective date of this section, the 
commissioners of administration, health, and public safety shall 
jointly appoint a multidisciplinary task force to prepare a 
report and recommendations concerning the appropriate skill 
levels of emergency dispatching personnel operating within the 
911 system.  The task force shall be composed of one 
representative each of the house of representatives, the senate, 
the department of administration, the department of health, the 
department of public safety, Minnesota Telephone Association, 
Inc., Associated Public Safety Communications Officers, Inc., 
the Minnesota state sheriffs' association, the Minnesota chiefs 
of police association, the Minnesota state fire chiefs 
association, the law enforcement dispatchers association, the 
Minnesota police and peace officers association, the Minnesota 
association of emergency medical technicians, the Minnesota 
chapter of the American college of emergency physicians, the 
Minnesota ambulance association, the association of Minnesota 
counties, the league of Minnesota cities, and the governing body 
of a regional emergency medical service system designated under 
Minnesota Statutes, section 144.8093.  In addition, the task 
force shall have one member who is a member of the general 
public who has no involvement in the management or the provision 
of 911 or other emergency medical or public safety services and 
one member who is a professional, full-time 911 dispatcher who 
is experienced in both receiving 911 calls and dispatching 
emergency medical and public safety services or relaying 911 
calls to the appropriate emergency medical and public safety 
agencies.  Finally, the task force shall have two members who 
are responsible for operating a public safety answering point, 
one of whom is nominated by the metropolitan 911 telephone board 
and one of whom is nominated by the county board of a county 
outside the metropolitan area as defined in Minnesota Statutes, 
section 403.02, subdivision 2. 
    Subd. 3.  [MEETINGS.] The task force shall hold at least 
one-half of its meetings in areas outside the metropolitan area 
as defined in section 403.02, subdivision 2. 
    Subd. 4.  [REPORT.] Not later than January 1, 1991, the 
dispatching skills task force shall complete a study of existing 
dispatching operations in Minnesota and other states it 
determines are relevant and submit a report and recommendations 
to the legislature on the following:  
    (1) the basic and applied dispatching skills needed in 
Minnesota, particularly in nonurban areas; 
    (2) course content and training strategies to meet the 
needs identified; 
    (3) the appropriate method of certifying skill levels and 
of assuring that minimum skill levels are met or exceeded by all 
dispatchers receiving requests through the 911 system; 
    (4) the fiscal needs of state and local government to 
assure that skill levels are reached and retained, including 
specific recommendations regarding appropriate state and local 
shares in meeting these needs; and 
    (5) proposed legislation and administrative actions needed 
to implement task force recommendations.  
    Subd. 5.  [STAFFING.] The commissioners of administration, 
health, and public safety shall jointly assure that the needs of 
the dispatching skills task force for staff support are met.  
    Subd. 6.  [EXPENSES.] The commissioners of administration, 
health, and public safety shall assure that expenses for persons 
serving on the dispatching skills task force who are not state 
employees are reimbursed according to Minnesota Statutes, 
section 15.059, subdivision 6. 
    Sec. 2.  [REPEALER.] 
    Section 1 is repealed effective July 1, 1991. 
    Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
    Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment. 
    Presented to the governor April 24, 1990 
    Signed by the governor April 24, 1990, 9:32 p.m.