Florida Senate - 2009 SB 2040
By Senator Detert
23-01762-09 20092040__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to 911 emergency dispatcher
3 certification; amending s. 401.465, F.S.; requiring
4 any person serving as a 911 emergency dispatcher to be
5 certified by the Department of Health on or after a
6 specified date; providing conditions under which a
7 public safety agency may employ a 911 emergency
8 dispatcher trainee for a limited period; providing
9 clarifying language with respect to certification or
10 recertification as a 911 emergency dispatcher;
11 revising requirements for certification as a 911
12 emergency dispatcher; providing an effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 401.465, Florida
17 Statutes, is amended to read:
18 401.465 911 emergency dispatcher certification.—
19 (2) PERSONNEL; STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION.—
20 (a) Effective October 1, 2012, any person serving as a 911
21 emergency dispatcher must be certified by the department.
22 Notwithstanding this requirement, a public safety agency as
23 defined in s. 365.171(3)(d) may employ a 911 emergency
24 dispatcher trainee for a period not to exceed 6 months, provided
25 that the trainee is under the direct supervision, as determined
26 by rule of the department, of a certified 911 emergency
27 dispatcher with a minimum of 2 years’ experience.
28 (b)(a) An applicant Any person who desires to be certified
29 or recertified as a 911 emergency dispatcher must may apply to
30 the department under oath on forms provided by the department.
31 The department shall establish by rule educational and training
32 criteria for the certification and recertification of 911
33 emergency dispatchers. Prior to October 1, 2012, any person who
34 desires to be certified or recertified as a 911 emergency
35 dispatcher may apply to the department as described in this
36 section.
37 (c)(b) The department shall determine whether the applicant
38 meets the requirements specified in this section and in rules of
39 the department and shall issue a certificate to any person who
40 meets such requirements. Such requirements must include, but
41 need not be limited to, the following:
42 1. Completion of an appropriate 911 emergency dispatcher
43 training program that is equivalent to or more stringent than
44 the most recently approved emergency dispatcher course of the
45 Department of Education and consists of not less than 208 hours;
46 2. Completion and documentation of at least 2 years of
47 supervised full-time employment as a 911 emergency dispatcher
48 since January 1, 2002;
49 2.3. Certification under oath that the applicant is not
50 addicted to alcohol or any controlled substance;
51 3.4. Certification under oath that the applicant is free
52 from any physical or mental defect or disease that might impair
53 the applicant’s ability to perform his or her duties;
54 4.5. Submission of the application fee prescribed in
55 subsection (3); and
56 5.6. Submission of a completed application to the
57 department which indicates compliance with subparagraphs 1., 2.,
58 3., and 4.
59 (d)(c) The department shall establish by rule a procedure
60 for the biennial renewal certification of 911 emergency
61 dispatchers.
62 (e)(d) Each 911 emergency dispatcher certificate expires
63 automatically if not renewed at the end of the 2-year period and
64 may be renewed if the holder meets the qualifications for
65 renewal as established by the department. A certificate that is
66 not renewed at the end of the 2-year period automatically
67 reverts to an inactive status for a period that may not exceed
68 180 days. Such certificate may be reactivated and renewed within
69 the 180-day period if the certificateholder meets all other
70 qualifications for renewal and pays a $50 late fee. Reactivation
71 shall be in a manner and on forms prescribed by department rule.
72 (f)(e) The department may suspend or revoke a certificate
73 at any time if it determines that the certificateholder does not
74 meet the applicable qualifications.
75 (g)(f) A certificateholder may request that his or her 911
76 emergency dispatcher certificate be placed on inactive status by
77 applying to the department before his or her current
78 certification expires and paying a fee set by the department
79 which may not exceed $100.
80 1. A certificateholder whose certificate has been on
81 inactive status for 1 year or less may renew his or her
82 certificate pursuant to the rules adopted by the department and
83 upon payment of a renewal fee set by the department which may
84 not exceed $100.
85 2. A certificateholder whose certificate has been on
86 inactive status for more than 1 year may renew his or her
87 certificate pursuant to rules adopted by the department.
88 3. A certificate that has been inactive for more than 6
89 years automatically expires and may not be renewed.
90 (h)(g) The department shall establish by rule a procedure
91 for the initial certification of 911 emergency dispatchers as
92 defined in this section who have documentation of at least 5
93 years of supervised full-time employment as a 911 emergency
94 dispatcher since January 1, 2002.
95 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.