We write to you today to request that you take action immediately to ensure the federal government reclassifies Public Safety Telecommunicators as “Protective” occupations, placing them alongside other public safety occupations as opposed to the current classification with secretaries and taxicab dispatchers. Time is running out, and we won’t have another chance to change this for 10 years.
Our initial call to action, announced during a webinar with a few hundred participants, asked you to tell the federal officials involved that you disagreed with their initial decision to maintain the status quo. Within 18 hours, more than 5,000 of you and your colleagues responded. So far, less than half that number have responded to our current action items. You may be thinking that others are taking action so what’s one more email or one more comment filed. But your colleagues may be thinking the same thing. Don’t let your inaction be the reason we lose this fight. To win this fight, we need responses in the tens of thousands. We understand that the federal officials need significant data to support changing the classification so no one can afford to sit on the sidelines.
APCO’s Take Action page has links to forms that make advocacy as simple as possible. We are asking members, colleagues, and supporters to:
- Relate a story to the federal officials that illustrates the protective work performed by 9-1-1 professionals (see our simple guide to filing comments); and
- Ask Congress to join the fight.
You can find more information on the reclassification process on APCO’s website, and our staff is here to answer any questions – gro@apcointl.org.
This is a major effort, and we will only succeed with your support. You and I know that 9-1-1 professionals are saving lives every day, and appropriate recognition for this work is long overdue. #911protectsme