PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2765 PRINTER'S NO. 3129
No. 2176 Session of 1980
INTRODUCED BY MRS. HONAMAN, MESSRS. FRYER, PICCOLA, DUFFY,
ALDEN, GLADECK, GALLEN, BROWN, KOLTER, DININNI, MANMILLER,
MOEHLMANN, WENGER, A. C. FOSTER, JR. AND MILLER, JANUARY
23, 1980
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MARCH 25, 1980
AN ACT
1 Providing for a Statewide emergency telephone number "911"
2 system, establishing the Office of Telecommunication in the
3 Department of General Services and providing for its powers
4 and duties, and making a repeal.
5 The General Assembly finds and declares that it is in the
6 public interest to shorten the time required for a citizen to
7 request and receive emergency aid. Providing a single, primary,
8 three-digit, toll free emergency number, "911" as the telephone
9 number by which any citizen within the borders of the
10 Commonwealth may gain rapid, direct access to a public safety
11 answering point, with the objective of reducing response time to
12 situations requiring law enforcement, fire, medical, rescue or
13 any other emergency service. It is the further intent of the
14 General Assembly that authority and responsibility for
15 establishing, operating and maintaining adequate facilities for
16 answering emergency calls for public safety assistance and
17 dispatching proper responses to satisfy the caller's
1 requirements shall be vested in the county level of local
2 government. The General Assembly has determined that the most
3 logical and cost effective level of government is at county
4 level. Each county is encouraged to consider maximum integration
5 of telecommunication facilities and capabilities within their
6 planning, in order to economize the monetary costs, as well as
7 to effect a more rapid response capability.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. Short title.
11 This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Public
12 Safety Emergency Telephone Act."
13 Section 2. Definitions.
14 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
15 have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the
16 meanings given to them in this section:
17 "Basic 911 system." A system which permits a person dialing
18 911 by telephone to be connected to a Public Safety Answering
19 Point (PSAP) via normal telephone facilities.
20 "Central office." A place where the switching of telephone
21 calls occur, whether automatically or manually.
22 "Local government." A city, county, borough, incorporated
23 town or township, or any combination thereof.
24 "Public agency." The Commonwealth and any municipality,
25 political subdivision, municipal authority or chartered
26 organization located in whole or in part within the Commonwealth
27 which provides or has the authority to provide law enforcement,
28 fire protection, rescue, ambulance, medical or other emergency
29 services.
30 "Public safety agency." That part or unit of a public agency
19800H2176B3129 - 2 -
1 which provides law enforcement, fire protection, rescue,
2 ambulance, medical or other emergency services.
3 "Public safety answering point" or "PSAP." The first point
4 where calls for assistance from citizens for public safety
5 agencies are answered.
6 Section 3. Office of Telecommunication.
7 (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established the Office
8 of Telecommunication within the Department of General Services.
9 THE OFFICE SHALL HAVE A DIRECTOR AND TECHNICAL STAFF, WHO ARE <--
10 TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONALS CERTIFIED AND EMPLOYED THROUGH
11 THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION.
12 (b) Powers and duties.--The office shall have the following
13 powers and duties:
14 (1) TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CENTRAL MANAGEMENT OF THE <--
15 TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM FOR THE COMMONWEALTH AND ITS
16 AGENCIES AS WELL AS THE STATEWIDE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE "911
17 PROGRAM."
18 (1) (2) To provide technical assistance as requested by <--
19 the counties in developing their "911" implementation plans.
20 (2) (3) To receive, review and act on the plans <--
21 submitted by the counties to implement "911" service.
22 (3) (4) To review and act on filed requests for <--
23 extension of time to implement the "911" system.
24 (4) (5) To develop and promulgate a Statewide publicity <--
25 program which will have as its goal educating citizens of
26 Pennsylvania with the implementation of "911" service and to
27 provide assistance to county governments to publicize the
28 implementation of "911" throughout the area.
29 (5) (6) To submit an annual report of activities to the <--
30 General Assembly on or before January 1 of each year. This
19800H2176B3129 - 3 -
1 report shall include a proposed budget for the next fiscal
2 year together with approved requests for funding from
3 counties for the next fiscal year.
4 Section 4. Funding.
5 (a) Approval by office.--The office shall be authorized to
6 accept requests for funding of "911" system and to establish and
7 promulgate guidelines by which the counties are to submit their
8 respective requests for funding and the guidelines for
9 administering those funds. The office shall approve all
10 applications for funding prior to the granting of such funds.
11 (b) Funded elements.--The following elements of "911"
12 emergency telephone system shall be funded for each county:
13 (1) The cost of trunk line service from a telephone
14 central office exchange to the public safety answering point.
15 (2) The cost of the telephone terminal equipment
16 installed in the public safety answering point, dedicated to
17 "911" service.
18 (3) The cost of dedicated trunk line service between
19 public safety answering points in adjacent counties.
20 (4) The one-time installation cost attendant to (1), (2)
21 and (3), are authorized for funding for systems implemented
22 after the enactment of this act.
23 (5) The cost involved in the hiring of extra persons
24 because of implementing a "911" system, to a maximum of five
25 employees.
26 (c) Source.--Moneys for the above purposes shall be provided
27 from the General Fund.
28 Section 5. Counties.
29 Counties shall have the following powers and duties in
30 relation to the "911" system:
19800H2176B3129 - 4 -
1 (1) To install, operate and maintain a "911" emergency
2 telephone system within the county.
3 (2) To make arrangements with telephone companies to
4 serve the entire central office, district or districts of the
5 company.
6 (3) To plan and implement a "911" emergency telephone
7 system adequate to provide service for the entire county not
8 later than January 1 of the sixth year after enactment of
9 this act.
10 (4) To execute all contracts, mutual aid agreements,
11 cross service agreements and all other necessary documents
12 which may be required in the implementation of the "911"
13 system.
14 (5) To file requests for extension of the implementation
15 date, when local circumstances preclude attaining the
16 established date.
17 Section 6. Telephone companies.
18 (a) Basic "911" service.--Those telephone companies which
19 provide general telephone service to subscribers in the
20 Commonwealth shall provide basic "911" service in their
21 exchanges by January 1 of the fifth year after enactment of this
22 act.
23 (b) Time extension.--A telephone company may request an
24 extension of time to comply with this act, where an extension is
25 reasonably necessary due to unusual technical or financial
26 impediments. This request shall be made to the Office of
27 Telecommunications.
28 Section 7. Regional systems.
29 Nothing in this act shall be construed to prohibit the
30 formation of multijurisdictional or regional systems, and any
19800H2176B3129 - 5 -
1 system established pursuant to this act may include the
2 territory of more than one public agency or may include a
3 segment of the territory of a public agency.
4 Section 8. Repeal.
5 The act of April 28, 1978 (P.L.90, No.42), entitled "An act
6 providing for the development of a Statewide emergency telephone
7 number "911" system plan and establishing the Bureau of
8 Telecommunications with the duties and responsibilities for all
9 telecommunications with State Government," is repealed.
10 Section 9. Effective date.
11 This act shall take effect immediately.
A14L32DGS/19800H2176B3129 - 6 -