Secretary Mary Elizabeth Heffernan
Secretary, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
Secretary Heffernan's bio
There are few things more terrifying in the life of a parent than to feel that sense of utter helplessness, when you are unable to assist your own child. Unfortunately, most parents at some point during the lives of their children have felt that sense of panic and fear, and I am no different.
As many of you are aware, I have two amazing children- a teenage son and an eleven year old daughter, who also happens to live with Type 1 Diabetes.
One winter night, when my daughter was about four years old, she decided to stay and have a sleepover in my room. That night turned out to be one of the most terrifying of our lives.
At some point in the middle of the night, I awoke to her having a seizure in bed next to me. I immediately called 911, and within minutes, first responders were on my doorstep. They were not only able to stabilize her condition and transport her to Children’s Hospital for treatment, but were also able to calm me down and assure me that everything was going to be ok.
Whether it is a response to a private home with a medical emergency, to a four alarm fire, or to a pileup on the Pike, first responders are a necessary, life-saving force crucial to our emergency response infrastructure. And, if the police, fire and EMS personnel who saved my daughter that night are the first responders, then the 911 call takers and dispatchers are the before first responders.
For far too long the Commonwealth undervalued the importance of the approximately 5,000 men and women who perform this role. That is why one of the great privileges of my job is presiding over a grant program run by the State 911 Department that assures that we train, equip and pay these crucial contributors to public safety as they deserve.
This week, I am thrilled to announce the award of $10 million in 911 regionalization grants for 911 call centers (technically called public safety answering points or “PSAPs”) across the Commonwealth. These grants are in addition to regionalization grants awarded in 2008 for $7.5 million and in 2009 for $8 million.
Specifically, $2.2 million in funding was awarded to the Hingham regionalization project, which involves the communities of Hingham, Cohasset, Hull, and Norwell, and is expected to be in-service in early 2011; approximately $1.6 million was awarded to the Worcester regionalization project to fund a feasibility study, materials/labor, architectural/engineering, and equipment costs and consists of Worcester and potentially 10 surrounding communities; and over $1.3 million was awarded to the Berkshire County Sheriff Regional PSAP for a radio tower and other PSAP equipment that will improve 911 dispatch services to the 22 communities in Berkshire County that are served by the regional PSAP.
This grant program was established in 2008, as a result of a bill sponsored by Senator Timilty and Representative Costello and signed into law by the Governor which had the support of police, fire, the disability advocates, and the Governor’s team here at EOPSS.
Since that time, we have not only been able to provide the development funding outlined above, but have also been able to award over $66 million in support grants to the 262 PSAPs around the Commonwealth for salaries, equipment or other operating costs, and have provided over $14 million for the PSAPs to use to train 911 call takers, to assure that they are able to perform with the highest degree of professionalism.
