PRINTER'S NO. 3584
No. 707 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY FAIRCHILD, ARGALL, BAKER, BEAR, BELFANTI, BEYER,
BRENNAN, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CAUSER, CLYMER, COHEN,
CONKLIN, CREIGHTON, DALLY, DiGIROLAMO, EVERETT, FABRIZIO,
FLECK, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GALLOWAY, GEIST, GEORGE, GILLESPIE,
GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARHART, HELM,
HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, HORNAMAN, HUTCHINSON,
JAMES, KILLION, KORTZ, KOTIK, KULA, MAJOR, MANN, MANTZ,
McILHATTAN, MELIO, MILLARD, R. MILLER, MILNE, MOYER, MURT,
MUSTIO, MYERS, NAILOR, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PAYNE, PEIFER,
PHILLIPS, PICKETT, PYLE, RAMALEY, RAPP, READSHAW, ROHRER,
ROSS, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH,
K. SMITH, SOLOBAY, SONNEY, STERN, SWANGER, VULAKOVICH, WALKO,
WANSACZ, J. WHITE, WOJNAROSKI AND YOUNGBLOOD, APRIL 8, 2008
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 8, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating April 2008 as "Pennsylvania 911 Education Month."
2 WHEREAS, 911 is nationally recognized as the number to call
3 in an emergency to receive immediate help from police, fire,
4 emergency medical services or other appropriate emergency
5 response entities; and
6 WHEREAS, In 1967, the President's Commission on Law
7 Enforcement and Administration of Justice recommended that a
8 single number should be established nationwide for reporting
9 emergency situations, and other Federal Government agencies and
10 various governmental officials also supported and encouraged the
11 recommendation; and
1 WHEREAS, In 1968, the American Telephone and Telegraph
2 Company (AT&T) announced that it would establish the digits 911
3 as the emergency code throughout the United States; and
4 WHEREAS, In 1990, the General Assembly enacted the Public
5 Safety Emergency Telephone Act; and
6 WHEREAS, There are 69 911 public safety answering points
7 (PSAPs) serving 67 counties and two cities throughout this
8 Commonwealth; and
9 WHEREAS, PSAPs answer more than 9.7 million 911 calls each
10 year in this Commonwealth, and a growing number of 911 calls are
11 made using wireless and Internet Protocol-based communications
12 services; and
13 WHEREAS, Parents, teachers and all other caregivers need to
14 play an active role in 911 education for children, but can do so
15 only after first being educated themselves; and
16 WHEREAS, There are many avenues for 911 public education,
17 such as safety fairs, school presentations, libraries, churches,
18 businesses, PSAP tours or open houses, civic organizations and
19 senior citizen centers; and
20 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth should strive to annually host at
21 least one educational event in every school in the State
22 regarding the proper use of 911; and
23 WHEREAS, An established "Pennsylvania 911 Education Month"
24 could include public awareness events, including conferences and
25 media outreach, training activities for parents, teachers,
26 school administrators, other caregivers and businesses,
27 educational events in schools and other appropriate venues and
28 production and distribution of educational content on 911
29 designed to educate people of all ages on the importance and
30 proper use of 911; and
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1 WHEREAS, On March 10, 2008, the United States House of
2 Representatives passed H.R. 537 by vote of 381-0, expressing
3 support for the designation and goals of "National 911 Education
4 Month," and requesting that the President of the United States
5 issue a proclamation designating a month as "National 911
6 Education Month"; and
7 WHEREAS, The House of Representatives supports the national
8 effort of seven national organizations to establish April as
9 National 911 Education Month, and the seven that have joined
10 together are: the E9-1-1 Institute, National Emergency Number
11 Association (NENA), 9-1-1 for Kids, National Association of
12 State 9-1-1 Administrators (NASNA), Association of Public-Safety
13 Communications Officials International (APCO), CTIA-The Wireless
14 Association and COMCARE Emergency Response Alliance; therefore
15 be it
16 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate April
17 2008 as "Pennsylvania 911 Education Month."
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