Judiciary & Public Safety Public Hearing

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY AND PUBLIC SAFETY BROOKE PINTO, CHAIR REVISED AND ABBREVIATED NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON Staffing Shortages, Recruitment, and Retention at the Office of Unified Communications; and Bill 25-953, the “Transparency in Emergency Response Amendment Act of 2024”; and Bill 25-954, the “Childcare for First Responders Act of 2024” on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. In the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 412 and virtually via Zoom To watch live: Councilmember Pinto’s YouTube Page (www.youtube.com/@cmbrookepinto) Councilmember Pinto’s X Page (https://x.com/CMBrookePinto) DC Council Website (dccouncil.gov) On Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at 11:30 a.m., Councilmember Brooke Pinto, Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, will hold a public hearing on Staffing Shortages, Recruitment, and Retention at the Office of Unified Communications, Bill 25-953, the “Transparency in Emergency Response Amendment Act of 2024”, and Bill 25-954, the “Childcare for First Responders Act of 2024”. The hearing will be held in Room 412 of the John A. Wilson Building. This hearing will serve as a forum to discuss in detail issues with staffing shortages, recruitment, and retention at the District’s 911 call center and how the Office of Unified Communications (OUC) is addressing them. In addition, the Committee invites testimony at the hearing on staffing shortages, recruitment and retention at OUC. Specifically, the Committee seeks comments and recommendations from members of the public, public safety and emergency response system experts, and other stakeholders on strategies to address staffing, recruitment, and retention issues at OUC. The Committee also seeks testimony on Bill 25-953, the “Transparency in Emergency Response Amendment Act of 2024”. The purpose of the legislation is to require the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency to conduct an after-action conference after a possible failure of emergency response in the District, to require the creation of an after-action report on a particular timeline, and to require that the report and other relevant documents are made public on a particular timeline. Discussion of the bill will also address broader issues concerning agency transparency following an error or operational failure. Last, the Committee seeks testimony on Bill 25-954, the “Childcare for First Responders Act of 2024”. The purpose of this legislation is to require the Mayor to provide on-site and free childcare to all first responders in the District, including 911 and 311 call-takers and dispatchers. The Committee invites the public to testify. Those who wish to do so must register using the Council’s Hearing Management System at https://lims.dccouncil.gov/hearings by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 21, 2024. Witnesses who represent organizations will have 5 minutes to speak. All others will have 3 minutes to speak. 1 Witnesses will have the option to testify in person or virtually; witnesses should specify which option they are electing at the time they sign up to testify. Witnesses who anticipate needing spoken language interpretation, or who require sign language interpretation, are requested to inform the Committee office of the need as soon as possible, but no later than 5 business days before the proceeding. We will make every effort to fulfill timely requests, although alternatives may be offered. Requests may be submitted via the Hearing Management System during registration or by contacting Ms. Aukima Benjamin, Committee Manager to the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, at (202) 724-8058 or via email at judiciary@dccouncil.gov. Requests received less than 5 business days before the proceeding may not be fulfilled. Witnesses will receive instructions on how to participate by Zoom prior to the hearing. If you have additional questions, please contact Ms. Benjamin at the phone number or email listed above. If you are unable to testify at the public hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record; written testimony should be submitted through the Council’s Hearing Management System at https://lims.dccouncil.gov/hearings. Testimony will be publicly accessible following Committee review. The record will close at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6, 2024. This notice has been revised to reflect an updated start time of 11:30 a.m. 1 If there is a large number of witnesses, the Committee may allow less time for each witness in order to ensure all witnesses have an opportunity to testify. 2