History of 9-1-1 In Louisiana
I. General Characteristics
- 9-1-1 in Louisiana is a parish-based collection of systems with a myriad of
configurations. All are similar in some ways, but no two systems are
identical. The differences are in small part due to the manner in which they
were created, but are primarily a reflection of their location and the political
realities of that location. There are issues and problems, which are common to
each Communications District but the solutions are, more often than not, unique
to that particular Communications District.
The establishment of a single, 3-digit phone number for citizens in need of
fire, medical or police emergency services has mandated a degree of unification
and uniformity of operation among public safety entities which were historically
accustomed to functioning autonomously. Prior to 9-1-1 a citizen needing a fire
department would dial that agency's 7-digit number and the fire department's
internally developed protocols would govern how that call was handled. Now that
caller dials 9-1-1.
When a citizen dials 9-1-1, the call is automatically routed to a pre-determined location, known as a Public Safety Answering Point ["PSAP"]. The call is answered by a call taker who determines the nature of the emergency and either handles the requests for emergency services or routes it to the appropriate public safety agency for emergency response.
Who
performs the call taker function and what happens from that point varies widely
from Communications District to Communications District. Some Communications
Districts hire their own call takers, some use Sheriff Department employees, some
use Fire Department personnel and others use combinations. 9-1-1 became the catalyst
for all public safety agencies to work in concert. Each configuration is a
reflection of the particular characteristics of the Parish where it operates.
II. The 9-1-1 Concept - The concept
of providing a three digit number for use in requesting emergency services
originated in England in 1937. In 1958, the International Association of Fire
Chiefs introduced the concept in the United States. The adoption of an
abbreviated, uniform, easy-to-dial and easy-to-remember number for emergency
services was recognized as an important public safety innovation.
In 1968, the President's Commission on Law Enforcement recommended the
establishment of an emergency number, and the numbers "9-1-1" were
reserved by AT&T for that purpose. In 1973, the Office of Telecommunications
Policy issued a national policy statement recognizing the benefits of 9-1-1 and
encouraging nationwide adoption of the number.
III. Legislative History in Louisiana
- In 1979, Lafayette Parish pioneered the creation of a 9-1-1 system for its
area. House Bill 480 of 1979, authored by Representatives LeBlanc, Bares, and
Thompson and handled by Senators Mouton and Champagne on the Senate side,
established the first Communications District in the State of Louisiana for the
purpose of establishing and maintaining an emergency telephone service for
Lafayette Parish. This enactment, which became Act #788 of 1979, set the
precedent for a 9-1-1 system with each Communications District boundaries being
based on the geographical boundaries of each of the sixty-four parishes in
Louisiana.
Representative Downer's House Bill #1065 of 1983 enacted the generic state
legislation found at R.S. 33:9107 et seq. which established the overall
mechanism for creation of Communications Districts in each of the remaining
parishes [Act 550 of 1983].
House Bill #1065 provided that Parish Policy Jurors or a board named by the
Policy Jury could operate a Communications District to establish and operate a
9-1-1 system for their parish. The law permitted a wide-range of methods by
which Communications Districts could operate the system.
§ 9105. Methods
The emergency telephone system shall be designed to have the capability of
utilizing at least one of the following four methods in response to emergency
calls:
(1) "Direct dispatch method", that is 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.
(2) "Relay method", that is 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.
(3) "Transfer method", that is a telephone service that receives
telephone requests for emergency services and directly transfers such requests
to an appropriate public safety agency or other provider of emergency services.
(4) "Referral method", that is a telephone service that, upon the
receipt of a telephone request for emergency services, provides the requesting
party with the telephone number of the appropriate public safety agency or other
provider of emergency services.
The governing authority of the district shall select the method that it
determines to be the most feasible for the parish.
The enactment of Act 550 of 1983 confirmed that Louisiana had elected to
implement its 9-1-1 systems on a Parish-by-Parish basis. Further the
incorporation of four general methods of operation was a recognition that the
needs and abilities of the parishes varied. Other states approached 9-1-1
implementation on a State-wide basis, while others used a regional approach.