Fourteen years ago, a freak storm hit the King Farm Park area. Rockville activist Carl Henn, 48, died when he apparently was struck by lightning.
His death turned into a cause for Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-17), because her friend just might still be alive if not for a failure by an overloaded 9-1-1. Kagan also cites two other tragedies to residents in her district whose deaths she believes occurred “when 9-1-1 failed.”
“On this day in 2010, my friend and Rockville activist Carl Henn died when 9-1-1 was overloaded in a freak thunderstorm. I remember his life… and his tragic and untimely death and seek to honor him with my legislative leadership. Maryland is now at the forefront nationally in upgrading to “Next Generation 9-1-1″ to enhance efficiency and save lives,” Kagan posted a few years ago on Facebook.
Kagan made it her mission to improve Maryland’s emergency response system. She established and chaired the Maryland NG911 Commission, which stands for Next Generation 9-1-1. She serves on a national 9-1-1 board and was twice named the national NG911 Government Leader of the Year,
She sponsored legislation to adjust the 9-1-1 fee; strengthen recruitment, training, and retention of 9-1-1 specialists; enhance geolocation accuracy and address cybersecurity and the practice of “swatting.”
Part of Kagan’s crusade included visiting each of Maryland’s 24 9-1-1 centers. On Oct. 10, she accomplished that goal when she toured the Calvert County center in Frederick. She previously visited the Montgomery County 9-1-1 center in September of 2018.
According to Maryland Department of Emergency Management Secretary Russell Strickland in a news release, “Senator Kagan has been an invaluable partner in improving 9-1-1 across Maryland and is recognized as a leader on the issue nationally. Over my 50+ years of public safety service, I’ve rarely had the opportunity to work with a legislator who has so diligently and fervently advocated for the 9-1-1 system.”
In the press release, Kagan wrote, “There is great diversity across our 24 jurisdictions, and I have seen firsthand how each is protecting us. I hope that our work means that no family will ever grieve a lost loved one after 9-1-1 fails.”
