Rep. David Trone Hosts Rockville Roundtable with First Responders to Discuss Urgent Need for Mental Health Care
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hannah Muldavin, Hannah.Muldavin@mail.house.gov
Rep. David Trone Hosts Rockville Roundtable with First Responders to Discuss Urgent Need for Mental Health Care
Rockville, MD – Today, Representative David Trone (MD-06) hosted a roundtable in Rockville, Maryland to discuss policies to protect law enforcement, fire, emergency medical, and 911 dispatch professionals.
The roundtable came in the wake of the death of Montgomery County Police Officer Thomas “T.J.” Bomba, who died by suicide in October. The roundtable included a number of experts closely familiar with the mental health services available to first responders.
“First responders go to work every day to protect our families and communities, and they deserve the best mental health support and resources that we can provide,” said Rep. Trone. “Today we heard firsthand from federal, state, and county professionals about how to end the mental health and suicide crisis among first responders. We have a lot of work to do to end the stigma of mental health and ensure our public safety professionals receive top notch care.”
At the roundtable, Trone heard from first responders, medical professionals, and community leaders about policy ideas that could be implemented to better support the mental health of first responders. Trone also shared his support for a First Responder Crisis Hotline, similar to the Veterans Crisis Hotline.
All 24 stakeholders from the federal, state, and local level in attendance are listed below.
Federal Level Stakeholders
- Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08)
- Dr. Joshua Gordon, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health
- Dr. Farris Tuma, Chief of the Traumatic Stress Research Program at the National Institute of Mental Health
- Tonya Hoover, Superintendent of the National Fire Academy
- George Moran, Training Specialist for Responder Health and Safety at the National Fire Academy
- J. Thomas Manger, Major Cities Chiefs Association
- Ken Reichard, Office of Senator Cardin
- Joan Kleinmann, Office of Senator Van Hollen
- Jennie Foont, Office of Representative Raskin
State Level Stakeholders
- Cheryl Kagan, Maryland State Senator, D17
- Sharon Ringley, Chief of Staff for Delegate Ariana Kelly, D16
Montgomery County Stakeholders
- Marcus Jones, Chief of Montgomery County Police
- Scott Goldstein, Chief of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services
- Charles Bailey, Division Chief of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services
- Stacy Daniel, Battalion Fire Chief of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services
- Darren Popkin, Montgomery County Sheriff
- Bill Ferretti, Director of the Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center
- Amy Daum, Lieutenant of the Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center
- Jeff Buddle, President of IAFF Local 1664
- Eric Fessenden, IAFF Local 1664
- Torrie Cooke, President of FOP Lodge 35
- Lee Holland, Vice President of FOP Lodge 35
- Sara Morningstar, Montgomery County Government Relations
- Heather Miles, 911 dispatch professional, MCGEO
Congressman David Trone was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018 to serve the 6th District of Maryland, which includes all or part of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties. Trone serves on the Education and Labor, Foreign Affairs, and Joint Economic Committees, where he is fighting to make progress on issues that matter to Marylanders, including the opioid epidemic, criminal justice reform, and funding for medical research.
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