[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 141 (Friday, August 6, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E878-E879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF LAURIE FLAHERTY ON HER RETIREMENT FROM FEDERAL 
                             PUBLIC SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 6, 2021

  MS. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Laurie Flaherty and 
her extraordinary work as the Coordinator of the National 911

[[Page E879]]

Program, part of the Office of Emergency Medical Services at the U.S 
Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, NHTSA. On July 15, 2021, NHTSA announced that she will 
retire from her position at the end of this calendar year.
  Laurie Flaherty has worked as an emergency, trauma and flight nurse 
for more than 20 years. In 2005, when the National 911 Program was 
created by legislation I cosponsored and was signed into law in the 
108th Congress, Laurie was asked to coordinate efforts to strengthen 
our nation's 911 emergency communications systems. Much of her work has 
been collaborating with other federal agencies and national, state, and 
local organizations to implement Next Generation 911, NG911, a digital 
infrastructure that will increase the resilience of the nation's 911 
systems.
  ``We are greatly in debt to Laurie for her initiative and commitment 
to the 911 Program from its inception,'' said Dr. Jon Krohmer, Director 
of NHTSA's Office of Emergency Medical Services.
  During Laurie's tenure, the National 911 Program coordinated with the 
911 community, Congress, and federal agencies to implement 911 grant 
programs and support information regarding funding opportunities, 
helped develop model 911 legislation, and collaborated with 911 
professionals to ensure a smooth transition to NG911. As a co-founder 
of the Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus in 2003, I worked closely 
with Laurie for many years to achieve these important goals.
  Laurie Flaherty was highly successful in creating awareness about 911 
at the federal level, both in representing 911's interests and in 
helping departments like the U.S. Department of Defense make progress 
toward both optimal 911 services and NG911. ``Her strong leadership 
competencies--relationship building, communication, problem solving and 
decision making--have been extremely effective for the role she's 
played,'' said Krohmer.
  As a champion for 911, Laurie's skill as a convener and collaborator 
has been widely recognized and appreciated.
  Kelli Merriweather of the Texas Commission on State Emergency 
Communications and President of the National Association of State 911 
Administrators stated, ``Laurie has been an exceptional advocate for 
911 throughout her career, and 911 programs and the people who support 
them across the country have greatly benefited from her dedication and 
vision for 911 and now NG911. She will be missed more than we can say, 
but she leaves the 911 community stronger and well prepared for the 
future.''
  Laurie Flaherty credits much of the success of the Program to the 
guidance and support of the many dedicated and focused 911 
professionals she has had the pleasure to know, in both public and 
private sectors. ``I am grateful for the individuals and organizations 
who have been such wonderful colleagues and friends, as we have worked 
together to improve 911 systems nationwide,'' said Flaherty. ``This is 
especially true of the DOT's support, which--absent any mandate--
established a track record of more than 15 years of discretionary 
funding and staffing, exclusively for 911 issues. That commitment 
created a single federal home for 911 issues that will last beyond any 
single person's career.''
  Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me 
in honoring Laurie Flaherty for her extraordinary contributions to the 
safety of our nation as the National 911 Program Coordinator and in 
wishing her every blessing in her well-deserved retirement.

                          ____________________