NASHVILLE (AP) – The Tennessee Emergency Communications Board has voted to add new training requirements for 911 dispatchers who take calls about missing or exploited children.

The board added five hours of training for all new dispatchers and two hours of continuing education every two years. All the extra time is to focus on handling calls about such children.

Current requirements mandate 40 hours of initial training and eight hours of continuing education every two years.

Board chairman Randy Porter said the new requirements will ensure that dispatchers are properly trained for such calls.

According to state officials, Tennessee is one of only four states with specific training requirements for 911 dispatchers.

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