APCO Extremely Disappointed, Remains Committed to Seeing Public Safety Telecommunicators Properly Classified as a ‘Protective’ Occupation

Today, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced the Standard Occupational Classification Policy Committee’s (SOCPC) recommendations for revising the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC), under which Public Safety Telecommunicators would continue to be inappropriately designated as “Office and Administrative Support Occupations.” These preliminary recommendations go against comments from the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International (APCO), the public, and the Congressional Next Gen 9-1-1 Caucus Co-Chairs advocating that Public Safety Telecommunicators be categorized as a “Protective Service Occupation.” APCO – the world’s largest association of public safety communications professionals – strongly disagrees with this designation and will urge correction from OMB.

The SOC is one of several classification systems established by OMB to ensure coordination of federal statistical activities. In its current version, 9-1-1 professionals are identified as “Police, Fire, and Ambulance Dispatchers” and classified as “Office and Administrative Support Occupations.” In 2014, OMB initiated a revision for the 2018 SOC. The SOCPC was established, consisting of representatives from nine federal agencies, to review public comments and make recommendations to OMB. Comments from APCO, members of the public, and the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Next Gen 9-1-1 Caucus Co-Chairs advocated for identifying 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers as “Public Safety Telecommunicators” and categorizing them as a “Protective Service Occupation,” the same category as police officers, firefighters, lifeguards, and a variety of other occupations. OMB is seeking public comment on the SOCPC’s contrary recommendations before adopting a final structure for the revised SOC. Comments are due September 20.

Public Safety Telecommunicators perform many critical functions during emergency response, including coaching 9-1-1 callers through life-saving first aid, evaluating reports of suspicious activity, and coordinating communications for high-stakes events such as active shooter incidents. Categorizing professional telecommunicators as “Administrative Support” belies the stress, skill, and life-or-death nature of the job. Further, the term “Public Safety Telecommunicator” more effectively captures the jobs that fall under this designation than the SOC’s current label, “Dispatcher.”

“I am extremely disappointed that the Policy Committee failed to address the inaccurate classification of Public Safety Telecommunicators in the SOC,” APCO President Brent Lee said. “Maintaining the status quo for the SOC – leaving public safety communications professionals out of the Protective category – is unacceptable. APCO will use every available resource to ensure that this is rectified and Public Safety Telecommunicators receive the recognition they deserve.”

Stay tuned for guidance on how to voice your support, including instructions and suggested language for interested parties to submit comments to OMB. APCO will provide further information during a webinar Thursday, July 28, 1:00 EST. Register.