NW Illinois News

Rep. Dan Swanson (R-Woodhull) is taking a bow for the role he played in the passage of Senate Bill 3127. The bill designates emergency medical dispatchers as first responders.

“The House and Senate both passed it with unanimous support,” Swanson said at an Aug. 13 news conference. “I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of our public safety dispatchers across the state for their resiliency, resourcefulness, and most especially their composure.”

A retired veteran of the Army National Guard and the United States Army, Swanson was the chief sponsor of SB 3127, working side by side with state Sen. Neil Anderson (R-Moline) to get the measure over the finish line.   

“I want to first thank Sen. Anderson, first for his service as a firefighter, and for his service to the people of Illinois as a first responder, and as a state senator,” Swanson said. “Sen. Anderson and I have passed several pieces of legislation and I'm grateful for that team effort that we have between the Senate and the House. The House and Senate both passed it with unanimous support. It is fitting that we are discussing this legislation during this National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.”

Swanson said the need for such legislation always struck him as obvious.

“These are essential workers that help residents and first responders through their most critical moments,” he said. “They help save countless lives and help people from every walk of life navigate through the most traumatic of times.”

Swanson said he is hoping the prospect of the bill becoming law will open the door to more people having an interest in the profession.

“There is a shortage of these employees as there's a shortage of many first responders,” he said. “My hope is that as we shine a light and give thanks and appreciation to their important work more people would be called to serve. Where we can help facilitate more people being interested in this kind of life-saving work with legislative action, we should.”

While he admits he is proud to be a part of the movement, Swanson readily admits there is more work to be done.

“I'm proud to report that we are taking these steps in the state of Illinois by passing this legislation,” he said. “There's more work to do but today we pause and thank our telecommunications and first responders and thank our colleagues in the General Assembly for their support.”

SB 3127 had bipartisan sponsorship in the Senate by Sens. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville), Robert Martwick (D-Chicago), Patrick Joyce (D-Kankakee), Win Stoller (R-Peoria), Sue Rezin (R-Morris), Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro), Brian Stewart (R-Freeport) and Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) and in the House by Reps. Dan Swanson (R-Woodhull), Tony McCombie (R-Sterling), Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa), Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee), Tim Ozinga (R-Mokena), Norine Hammond (R-Macomb), Jonathan Carroll (D-Northbrook), Amy Elik (R-Alton), Charlie Meier (R-Highland) and Avery Bourne (R-Litchifield).

The bill was introduced in the Senate on Jan. 11, and initially went to the House on Feb. 23 before passing on March 30. It then returned to the Senate for approval of an amendment and is now only awaiting the signature of Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

 

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