Senate committee advances bill to extend mental‑injury benefits to 9‑1‑1 telecommunicators

TALLAHASSEE — The Senate Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability on Jan. 23 reported favorably on Senate Bill 774, a measure sponsored by Sen. Pizzo that would make mental or nervous injuries suffered by 9‑1‑1 public safety telecommunicators payable under Florida workers' compensation even when no physical injury is present.

Proponents — including dispatchers, an embedded clinician and communications directors — told the committee that telecommunicators face repeated traumatic exposures and need access to treatment. "My injury may have broken my body, but my time in dispatch broke my soul and my mind," said Jennifer Dana, a 9‑1‑1 dispatcher with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. She and others described hearing deaths, suicides and other severe incidents and urged the committee to pass the bill.

Kim Powell, a licensed clinical mental health counselor embedded in a 9‑1‑1 emergency communications center, said clinicians see both immediate acute reactions and long‑term cumulative trauma among telecommunicators. "These are not isolated events. They are part of the job," Powell said, adding that recognizing and treating mental injuries "saves careers, improves outcomes, and strengthens public safety."

Lisa Cahill, director of public safety communications in Marion County, told senators that the volume and severity of calls has risen and that NextGen 9‑1‑1 technology will add live video to incidents, increasing exposure for dispatchers. Stephanie King, a Palm Beach County dispatcher, said the state’s roughly 3,500 dispatchers handle heavy caseloads — she cited Palm Beach County answering about 1,200,000 calls last year and individual dispatchers handling about 60 to 100 calls per shift — and argued that extending benefits would aid retention and morale.

Sponsor Sen. Pizzo noted past pandemic bonus payments that excluded 9‑1‑1 operators and pressed for recognition of telecommunicators as first responders. The committee heard several organizations waive testimony in support, including the Florida Police Chiefs Association and the Florida Sheriffs Association.

The committee voted to report SB 774 favorably. Tamara (committee staff) called the roll and senators present answered "Yes" as recorded; the chair announced the bill was reported favorably as a committee bill. The measure now moves to the Senate calendar for further consideration.

Votes at committee: The committee vote was announced and recorded in the hearing transcript as reported favorably by roll call; the clerk recorded the responses as "Yes" for the senators present and the chair so ordered.

Next steps: After a favorable committee report, SB 774 will proceed through the Senate process and may receive additional committee or floor action before final passage or amendment.