Anna Eshoo: “I'm proud to have sponsored this Resolution to establish a National 9-1-1 Education Month. Forty years ago President…”

“I'm proud to have sponsored this Resolution to establish a National 9-1-1 Education Month. Forty years ago President Johnson's Commission on Law Enforcement and Justice recommended that a single, nationwide telephone number be established for reporting emergencies--9-1-1. Since then, 9-1-1 has been used by millions of people across the country to quickly and efficiently contact their local fire and police departments, as well as report emergencies in their communities. Over 200 million emergency calls are made each year through the 6,000 9-1-1 public safety answering points serving more than 3,000 counties. As the connection between the eyes and ears of the public and the emergency response system in the U.S., 9-1-1 answering points are often the first to know of emergencies caused by natural disasters, to national security threats, making 9-1-1 a vital homeland security asset. Educating people of all ages and backgrounds about 9-1-1 is crucial to the effectiveness of our emergency response system. It is especially important for vulnerable populations like children, the deaf and the hard of hearing, and those with limited English skills to understand and use. A National 9-1-1 Education Month will encourage the development of public awareness events, advertising to the public, targeted outreach to schools, and training activities for parents and teachers.”