Senator John Flanagan (2nd Senate District) recently welcomed Maddie Canonico of Kings Park to his office in Smithtown to congratulate her on achieving the Suffolk County Girl Scouts Gold Award. During the meeting, Senator Flanagan congratulated Maddie on her dedication to scouting and her family for supporting her throughout her scouting career.
Senator Flanagan also took the opportunity to thank Maddie for using her Gold Star project to raise awareness of Suffolk County’s “Text to 911” service. As the sister of a deaf brother, Maddie knows firsthand how important equal access to emergency services is for those who are unable to talk to the 911 emergency service operator.
To ensure that all who could benefit from the service were aware of its benefits, Maddie worked with many deaf and hard of hearing volunteers to make a video that highlights its benefits. The video sets out three emergency situations and shows viewers how the “Text to 911” service can be utilized. Texting as an option for those who have hearing issues opens up the 911 service to all and that will help enhance the safety of all Suffolk County residents.
The video is currently on YouTube and on Senator Flanagan’s website (flanagan.nysenate.gov).
“It was my pleasure to welcome Maddie and to congratulate her on achieving the Gold Award – something that only 6% of girl scouts achieve every year. We hope that Maddie and her family are very proud,” stated Senator Flanagan. “We also thank her for her effort to help those in our community who are hard of hearing. The ‘Text to 911’ service is a great resource and it is important that all who can benefit are aware of it.”
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