OLYMPIA — Senate legislation passed late Thursday by the House will remove potential distractions for dispatchers who work with first responders to provide fast and effective assistance to people in times of emergency.
“When there’s an emergency, dispatchers need to quickly identify the caller’s location and needs so they can direct the appropriate first responders to the scene as fast as possible,” said Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (D-Lake Sutherland), the bill’s sponsor. “They make what can prove to be life-and-death decisions, fast, and that requires a clear head – not someone stressed by unnecessary distractions like lagging contract negotiations.”
To eliminate such distractions, SB 5808 expands to dispatchers the practice of binding interest arbitration commonly used for first responders such as firefighters and law officers. The arbitration would be decided by an impartial third party if contract negotiations cannot be solved through mediation between dispatchers and their employers.
A career firefighter, Van De Wege said the aim of SB 5808 is not so much to raise wages but to ensure dispatchers can concentrate their full energies on enabling first responders like himself to deliver the best possible assistance in all kinds of emergencies.
“This is not a simple job, and the health and safety of people throughout the community depend on a dispatcher’s ability to do the job well,” he said. “They are a critical link between those in distress and those who can help them, when seconds can make a world of difference.”
The legislation will primarily affect dispatchers employed by cities and counties and marks the second time in as many years that Van De Wege has sponsored legislation on behalf of dispatchers. In 2023, passage of his SB 5328 encouraged the retention of city and county dispatchers by making them eligible to participate in the Public Safety Employees Retirement System.
