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The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) is one of 40 public safety and governmental associations that have signed on to support the ENHANCE 911 Act funding coalition.
“One of the most important components and priorities of a national plan to promote homeland security, public safety and improved response to the American public, is the ability of a robust nationwide Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1) system to locate all callers,” wrote coalition members in an open letter to Congress. “New technologies and communications capabilities have provided an improved link to emergency personnel in locations where such help would have been impossible to deliver a decade ago. An estimated 200 million 9-1-1 calls are made each year to save a life, report an emergency or to tip off authorities of a potential incident. Yet, our nation’s 9-1-1 system is far too often behind the many technological advances of recent decades.”
According to the coalition’s letter, Congress recognized the needs of today’s 9-1-1 system by passing the ENHANCE 911 Act of 2004. Sponsored by the Congressional E9-1-1 Caucus and signed into law by President Bush on December 23, 2004, the ENHANCE 911 Act authorizes the creation of a national 9-1-1 program office and the facilitation of up to $250 million per year for grants to upgrade enhanced emergency communications services. “Yet, to date no monies have been appropriated to fund the provisions in the ENHANCE 911 Act,” the letter continued. “It is essential that Congress recognize the critical role that 9-1-1 plays in all emergencies and as a vital homeland security asset by providing funding for the ENHANCE 911 Act.”
NAEMT is the oldest and largest EMS association in the United States, representing the interests of all EMTs and paramedics—volunteer, paid, private, fire, hospital, third service, industrial, military or police.
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