[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 52 (Wednesday, April 14, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2326-S2327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL 9-1-1 EDUCATION MONTH
Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 482 submitted earlier
today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 482) designating April 2010 as
``National 9-1-1 Education Month.''
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be
laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any
statements related to the resolution be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 482) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 482
Whereas 9-1-1 is nationally recognized as the number to
call in an emergency to receive immediate help from police,
fire, emergency medical services, or other appropriate
emergency response entities;
Whereas in 1967, the President's Commission on Law
Enforcement and Administration of Justice recommended that a
``single number should be established'' nationwide for
reporting emergency situations, and other Federal Government
agencies and various governmental officials also supported
and encouraged the recommendation;
Whereas in 1968, the American Telephone and Telegraph
Company (AT&T) announced that it would establish the digits
9-1-1 as the emergency code throughout the United States;
Whereas 9-1-1 was designated by Congress as the national
emergency call number under the Wireless Communications and
Public Safety Act of 1999 (Public Law 106-81; 113 Stat.
1286);
Whereas section 102 of the ENHANCE 911 Act of 2004 (47
U.S.C. 942 note) declared an enhanced 9-1-1 system to be ``a
high national priority'' and part of ``our Nation's homeland
security and public safety'';
Whereas it is important that policy makers at all levels of
government understand the importance of 9-1-1, how the system
works today, and the steps that are needed to modernize the
9-1-1 system;
Whereas the 9-1-1 system is the connection between the eyes
and ears of the public and the emergency response system in
the United States and is often the first place emergencies of
all magnitudes are reported, making 9-1-1 a significant
homeland security asset;
Whereas more than 6,000 9-1-1 public safety answering
points serve more than 3,000 counties and parishes throughout
the United States;
Whereas dispatchers at public safety answering points
answer more than 200,000,000 9-1-1 calls each year in the
United States;
Whereas a growing number of 9-1-1 calls are made using
wireless and Internet Protocol-based communications services;
Whereas a growing segment of the population, including the
deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, and individuals with
speech disabilities are increasingly communicating with
nontraditional text, video, and instant messaging
communications services and expect those services to be able
to connect directly to 9-1-1;
Whereas the growth and variety of means of communication,
including mobile and Internet Protocol-based systems, impose
challenges for accessing 9-1-1 and implementing an enhanced
9-1-1 system and require increased education and awareness
about the capabilities of different means of communication;
Whereas numerous other N-1-1 and 800 number services exist
for nonemergency situations, including 2-1-1, 3-1-1, 5-1-1,
7-1-1, 8-
[[Page S2327]]
1-1, poison control centers, and mental health hotlines, and
the public needs to be educated on when to use those services
in addition to or instead of 9-1-1;
Whereas international visitors and immigrants make up an
increasing percentage of the United States population each
year, and visitors and immigrants may have limited knowledge
of our emergency calling system;
Whereas people of all ages use 9-1-1 and it is critical to
educate those people on the proper use of 9-1-1;
Whereas senior citizens are at high risk for needing to
access to 9-1-1 and many senior citizens are learning to use
new technology;
Whereas thousands of 9-1-1 calls are made every year by
children properly trained in the use of 9-1-1, which saves
lives and underscores the critical importance of training
children early in life about 9-1-1;
Whereas the 9-1-1 system is often misused, including by the
placement of prank and nonemergency calls;
Whereas misuse of the 9-1-1 system results in costly and
inefficient use of 9-1-1 and emergency response resources and
needs to be reduced;
Whereas parents, teachers, and all other caregivers need to
play an active role in 9-1-1 education for children, but will
do so only after being first educated themselves;
Whereas there are many avenues for 9-1-1 public education,
including safety fairs, school presentations, libraries,
churches, businesses, public safety answering point tours or
open houses, civic organizations, and senior citizen centers;
Whereas children, parents, teachers, and the National
Parent Teacher Association contribute importantly to the
education of children about the importance of 9-1-1 through
targeted outreach efforts to public and private school
systems;
Whereas we as a Nation should strive to host at least 1
educational event regarding the proper use of 9-1-1 in every
school in the country every year;
Whereas programs to promote proper use of 9-1-1 during
National 9-1-1 Education Month could include--
(1) public awareness events, including conferences and
media outreach, training activities for parents, teachers,
school administrators, other caregivers and businesses;
(2) educational events in schools and other appropriate
venues; and
(3) production and distribution of information about the 9-
1-1 system designed to educate people of all ages on the
importance and proper use of 9-1-1; and
Whereas the people of the United States deserve the best
education regarding the use of 9-1-1: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates April 2010 as ``National 9-1-1 Education
Month''; and
(2) urges Government officials, parents, teachers, school
administrators, caregivers, businesses, nonprofit
organizations, and the people of the United States to observe
the month with appropriate ceremonies, training events, and
activities.
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