Galesburg Reporter

State Sen. Neil Anderson (R-Moline) and Rep. Dan Swanson (R-Woodhull) aim to reclassify emergency dispatchers as first responders with their new legislation, Senate Bill 3127.

“As a fireman I not only understand the stress dispatchers go through, but we rely on them a lot during emergency calls for support and vital information,” Anderson said in a Feb. 10 statement. “This bill is a common-sense proposal and something I have been working on for several years now.”

The idea to reclassify dispatchers as emergency first responders arose from constituent interest across both the 36th Senate and the 74th House districts.

“Dispatchers pick up the phone when people experience the worst moments of their lives,” Swanson said in the statement. “They are literally the first responders to trauma and we should support them in recovering from the life-altering trauma they shoulder as part of their important public service.”

The bill also reclassifies other positions as first responders, including “emergency management officials involved in the execution and documentation of the drills administered under this Act.” The new classifications give these positions the same public recognition as emergency medical, fire, and police services.

In Chicago, 911 dispatcher Keith Thornton Jr. wrote this December on his Facebook page that Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) was a “bully” who made policing harder.

 "Today, we're talking about the northwest side of Chicago, and this was brought to my attention by several of my officers who've texted me and said that they were scared. They're tired of this nonsense and they have no backing, and they're scared of being out there by themselves working in the 16th District," Thornton said in the Facebook video. "And I'm going to tell you right now: 16th District is so shorthanded with officers that when you call 911, you're not getting a quick response. Like many other parts of the city, officers are not coming to you."