[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 30, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S2000]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL 9-1-1 EDUCATION MONTH
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 118.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 118) designating April 2011 as
``National 9-1-1 Education Month.''
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. REID. 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 that any
statements relating to this matter be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 118) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 118
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);
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
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 the ability to communicate through voice, text,
data, and video conferencing provides an opportunity for the
Nation's 9-1-1 system to adopt next generation applications
and services, greatly enhancing the capabilities of 9-1-1
services;
Whereas numerous other ``N-1-1'' and 800 number services
exist for non-emergency situations, including 2-1-1, 3-1-1,
5-1-1, 7-1-1, 8-1-1, poison control centers, and mental
health hotlines, and the public needs to be educated about
when to use such services in addition to, or instead of, 9-1-
1;
Whereas international visitors and immigrants make up an
increasing percentage of the population of the United States
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 people on the proper use of 9-1-1;
Whereas senior citizens are at high risk for needing to
call 9-1-1 and many senior citizens are learning to use new
technology;
Whereas thousands of 9-1-1 calls are made each year by
children who are properly trained in the use of 9-1-1, which
saves lives and underscores the critical importance of
training children about 9-1-1 early in life;
Whereas the 9-1-1 system is often misused, such as through
the placement of prank and non-emergency calls;
Whereas misuse of the 9-1-1 system results in costly and
inefficient use of 9-1-1 and emergency response resources,
and such misuse needs to be reduced;
Whereas parents, teachers, and caregivers must be educated
about 9-1-1 in order to play an active role in 9-1-1
education for children;
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 parents, teachers, and the National Parent Teacher
Association contribute significantly to the goal of educating
children about the importance of 9-1-1 through targeted
outreach efforts to public and private schools;
Whereas the United States should strive to host at least 1
annual educational event regarding the proper use of 9-1-1 in
every school in the Nation;
Whereas the people of the United States deserve the best
education regarding the use of 9-1-1; and
Whereas programs to promote proper use of 9-1-1 during
``National 9-1-1 Education Month'' may include--
(1) public awareness events, such as conferences and media
outreach;
(2) training activities for businesses, parents, teachers,
school administrators, and other caregivers;
(3) educational events in schools and other appropriate
venues; and
(4) 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: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates April 2011 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
``National 9-1-1 Education Month'' with appropriate
ceremonies, training events, and activities.
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