AURORA, Ill. – In an effort to improve public safety, state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, is sponsoring legislation to make it easier to dial 9-1-1, without worrying about a special code to dial out from an office or phone system.
“We are taught from a young age to dial 9-1-1 in case of an emergency, and any confusion about what to dial puts lives at risk,” Kifowit said. “There should be nothing preventing someone from being able to dial this commonly-known number to reach emergency personnel.”
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Kifowit is sponsoring Senate Bill 3313 to require private businesses that use a switchboard service to allow a caller dialing 9-1-1 to be connected without first dialing any number or set of numbers. The bill was introduced after a young girl in Texas tried to call 9-1-1 from a motel, where her mother had been attacked. The girl was unable to be connected to emergency services because she didn’t know she had to dial 9 first, and her mother did not survive.
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“This legislation is a simple change to ensure that during an emergency situation people are able to receive assistance as quickly as possible,” Kifowit said. “I will continue working to be responsive to any difficulties that families face, so that we can make common-sense improvements to public safety in Illinois.”
For more information, please contact Rep. Kifowit’s constituent service office at 630-585-1308, email Stephanie.Kifowit@att.net, or visit www.ILDistrict84.com.
