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Dispatcher

PSAP Planning for COVID-19

As PSAPs in New Jersey make plans to continue to provide service during the COVID-19 outbreak, OETS will attempt to assist by providing links to resources that may be of help.

PSAP Staffing

As PSAPs plan for continuing operations during the present COVID-19 outbreak staffing is a major concern. Along with planning to move operations to other facilities and combining healthy staff one of the first considerations is addressed in the current 9-1-1 regulations under substitute calltakers. Below is an excerpt from the regulations.

For the complete regulations click here.

Excerpt from NJ 9-1-1 Regulations

CHAPTER 24. 9-1-1 EMERGENCY TELEPHONE SYSTEM

17:24-2.2 PSAP: required and recommended staffing

(d) Persons who are not certified as provided in (c) above may be utilized to substitute for a certified call-taker or dispatcher under the following circumstances:

  1. A certified call-taker or dispatcher is scheduled for duty but unavailable due to illness or an emergency. Substitute call-takers or dispatchers are not to be used for coverage for meal breaks or other routine scheduled breaks; and

    2. The person is one who meets the following requirements:

    i. Has successfully completed the U.S. Department of Transportation's "First Responders: Emergency Medical Care Training Course," or "Crash Injury Management for Traffic Law Enforcement Officers" or "EMT Course";



    ii. Has a current CPR certification in a program approved by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services;

    iii. Has successfully completed an eight-hour introductory course on the New Jersey 9-1-1 emergency enhanced telecommunications system which has been prepared by the local PSAP and approved by OETS; and

    iv. Has successfully completed annual in-service training during each year of service following completion of the introductory course on the New Jersey 9-1-1 emergency enhanced telecommunications system, consisting of an eight-hour program developed by the local PSAP and approved by OETS to address technical developments and improve the provision of 9-1-1 services.

 

17:24-2.4 PSAP: recordkeeping

 

(a) Each PSAP shall maintain the following:

  1. Recordings produced by the logging recorder and all documents or records related to 9-1-1 calls in a secured area for no less than 31 days;

    2. A current listing of PSAP call-takers, which indicates the call-takers' certification date, at all times; and

    3. A record of each occasion on which a substitute call-taker or dispatcher was utilized, which includes the name of the substitute, the date and time of the substitution, and the reason for the substitution, which shall be retained for one year.