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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 118 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 118

     Designating April 2011 as ``National 9-1-1 Education Month''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 30, 2011

   Ms. Klobuchar (for herself and Mr. Burr) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
     Designating April 2011 as ``National 9-1-1 Education Month''.

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.
                                 <all>
```