CUMBERLAND — When state Sen. Cheryl Kagan learned in 2010 that a friend had lost his life following a lightning strike and failed emergency call, she vowed she would one day improve the state’s 911 call centers.
Although Kagan had been a state delegate from 1995-2003, when Carl Henn died in the 2010 incident, she was out of office. However, in 2014 she ran and won a seat in the state senate.
Kagan, a Democrat, represents Rockville and Gaithersburg. She was in Cumberland on Wednesday to visit the Allegany County 911 Center with state Sen. Mike McKay.
Kagan has been following up on her vow to improve the 911 emergency system, making sure call centers have the technology, training, oversight and staffing needed to handle each call to the best possible outcome.
Maryland has a 911 call center in each of its 23 counties and Baltimore city. Kagan’s visit to Cumberland, and a stop in Garrett County later Wednesday, marked her 23rd call center visit.
“I have to visit Calvert County and I will have visited them all,” she said.
Kagan said three people have died in her district due to 911 call center failures. She became instrumental in getting the legislation known as Carl Henn’s Law passed in 2019.
When Henn was struck by lightning in Rockville in 2010 during a violent storm, emergency operators were not immediately reachable due to the overwhelming volume of calls, according to testimony from Henn’s wife. That ultimately resulted in his death due to a brain injury.
Kagan spearheaded Senate and House legislation that addressed systems and staffing as well as funding for the call centers.
In addition to McKay, those present for Kagan’s visit to Cumberland were James R. Pyles, Allegany County Department of Emergency Services director, Roger Bennett, deputy director, and Jason Bennett, county administrator.
Bennett said the state was able to make a significant funding commitment of $3 million for the 2024 fiscal year.
“Allegany County seems to be doing a great job,” said Kagan. “Because often times there is a lot of turnover, but they have only one opening short of the 28 positions at the center.
“It takes a long time to train a specialist to handle the stressful calls from people who are having the worst day of their lives,” she said. “You want to keep them and make sure they feel appreciated and supported.”
Kagan said it’s imperative to show support for 911 staff.
“We talk about our first responders, our police, firefighters and paramedics, and they are our heroes,” she said. “But you have to remember women and men under the headsets who are the first first responders. It’s such an honor to work with the people who saves lives.”
McKay said, “The commitment of the (county) commissioners over the years has been there and we are seeing the fruits of that commitment. Sen. Kagan in her passion for the topic and visiting all of the call centers has been an advocate to make sure those needs are met.”