CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin delivered remarks Tuesday at the West Virginia 911 Conference symposium in Charleston where officials had the chance to talk about the next steps when it comes to emergency response.
An upgrade called “Next Generation 911” would allow people to send texts, photos and video to help telecommunicators with information straight from the scene. Senator Capito also took time to say thank you to the ones who are on the other end of the phone.
“You can imagine your counterparts in Maryland and the surrounding areas. The kinds of calls and what they are dealing with right now and I think nothing is more emblematic than how one day you put your head on your pillow and everything seems all right, and then in the middle of the night, it’s not all right, and that’s what you all deal with every single day,” Capito said. “So thank you for what you do, and thank you for being there 24/7, even when things very devastating happen in the middle of the night or any time of the day.”
Senator Manchin also spoke of his support for the bipartisan Enhancing First Response Act, which he says would recognize 911 dispatchers as protective service workers and support essential updates to 911 reporting systems during natural disasters.
After the symposium, Capito traveled to Anna Jarvis Elementary in Grafton, West Virginia, to host her 31st West Virginia Girls Rise Up event, empowering young women through education, fitness and self confidence.