31 Miss. Code. R. 601-1.1 - Purpose

Herein are defined certain terms used in these Policy and Procedures.

1. Basic 911 Service - A telephone service terminated in designated Public Safety Answering Points accessible by the public through telephone calls dialed to the telephone number 911. Basic 911 is a voice service and does not display address or telephone number information.

2. Board - Shall mean the Board of Emergency Telecommunications Standards and Training.

3. Board Director - Shall mean the Director of the Board on Law Enforcement Standards and Training.

4. Break in Service - Any period of time when an individual is not an emergency telecommunicator as defined in this policy.

5. Certificates - Shall mean certificates issued only to fully qualified telecommunicators.

6. Certified - Shall mean the Board has acknowledged that all requirements mandated by this policy and the Emergency Telecommunications Training Program have been achieved and that a certificate has been issued as documentation of the same.

7. E911 Service - A telephone exchange communications service whereby a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) designated by the county or local communication district may receive telephone calls dialed to the telephone number 911. E911 Service includes lines and equipment necessary for the answering, transferring and dispatching of public emergency telephone calls originated by persons within the serving area who dial 911. Enhanced 911 Service includes the displaying of the name, address and other pertinent caller information as may be supplied by the service supplier.

8. Equivalency of Training - Shall mean the assessment of an applicant's emergency telecommunications training, education, experience and qualifications.

9. Lateral Transfer - A transfer by a certified emergency telecommunicator to a different telecommunicator agency.

10. Methods for responding to emergency calls - The emergency telephone system shall, when so authorized by a vote of a majority of the qualified electors of the county voting on the proposal in an election held for that purpose, be designed to have the capability of utilizing at least one (1) of the following three (3) methods in response to emergency calls:

A. Direct Dispatch Method - A telephone service to a centralized dispatch center providing for the dispatch of an appropriate emergency service unit upon receipt of a telephone request for such services and a decision as to the proper action to be taken, including an E911 system.

B. Relay Method - A telephone service whereby pertinent information is noted by the recipient of a telephone request for emergency services and is relayed to appropriate public safety agencies or other providers of emergency services for dispatch of an emergency service unit.

C. Transfer Method - A telephone service which receives telephone requests for emergency services and directly transfers such requests to an appropriate public safety agency or other provider of emergency services.

11. Employment Standards - All Emergency Telecommunicator applicants must meet the following guidelines to be employed as an Emergency Telecommunicator. They must be at least eighteen (18) years of age; be a high school graduate (or obtain a General Educational Development (GED) Diploma); be a United States citizen; be capable of performing the duties under conditions inherent to the profession; not have a criminal record including a plea of guilty, a plea of nolo contendere, probation, pre-trial diversion nor the payment of any fine in relation to a crime that is directly related to the duties and responsibilities of an emergency telecommunicator; and not have been engaged in any condition, conduct or action that would greatly diminish the public trust in the competence and reliability of an emergency telecommunicator. Individuals must have been discharged from the Armed Forces under honorable conditions. Fitness for service must be verified by an appropriate background investigation.

12. Criminal Record - Shall mean any type of felony or misdemeanor conviction. Criminal Records that are specific and directly related to the duties and responsibilities of an emergency telecommunicator may only be considered when evaluating applicants. Factors to determine disqualifying criminal convictions are: the nature and seriousness of the crime for which the individual was convicted; the passage of time since the commission of the crime; the relationship of the crime to the ability, capacity, and fitness required to perform the duties and discharge the responsibilities of an emergency telecommunicator; and any evidence of rehabilitation or treatment undertaken by the individual that might mitigate against a direct relation.

13. Probationary Period - A period of one year from the initial date of hire as a telecommunicator in the original appointment. The one-year period cannot be enlarged by additional/multiple appointments. Individuals acquire an additional one-year period following a break in service of more than two years.

14. Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) - Any point of contact between the public and the emergency services such as a 911 answering point or, in the absence of 911 emergency telephone service, any other point of contact where emergency telephone calls are routinely answered and dispatched or transferred to another agency.

15. Telecommunications Employer - Shall mean the agency which employs the emergency telecommunicator.

16. Telecommunicator - Any person engaged in or employed as a telecommunications operator by any public safety, fire or emergency medical agency whose primary responsibility is the receipt or processing of calls for emergency services provided by public safety, fire or emergency medical agencies or the dispatching of emergency services provided by public safety, fire or emergency medical agencies and who receives or disseminates information relative to emergency assistance by telephone or radio.

17. Training Packet - Shall mean the Board-adopted forms used to collect information necessary for certification and enrollment in a basic course.

18. TCPR - Shall mean telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which is the dispatcher-assisted delivery of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instruction by trained emergency call takers or public safety dispatchers to callers or bystanders for events requiring CPR, such as out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

Notes

31 Miss. Code. R. 601-1.1

Miss Code Ann. § 19-5-303

Adopted 3/18/2019 Amended 11/30/2019 Amended 1/30/2023