D&HHS Welcomes New Kent County Emergency Manager

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services has its roots in an emergency that almost became a tragedy.

In 1995, Deaf community leader Marty Jansen (who just recently passed away) woke up in bed in the midst of a heart attack. His wife Dianne tried to call 911, but because she is severely hard of hearing, the 911 center kept hanging up on them. She finally did get through, Marty was rushed to the hospital and survived.

When word spread, it was the final straw for many who came together to create what would become D&HHS.

Because of that history, D&HHS has worked closely through the years with the Kent County Emergency Manager, and we have had a close and fruitful relationship.

So, we want to today extend a warm D&HHS welcome to Matt Groesser who has been appointed to serve as the new Kent County Emergency Manager. Matt has served in Kent County emergency communications for 22 years and will be great in his new role.

We also want to extend a huge thanks and appreciation to former Kent County Emergency Manager Lou Hunt who announced his resignation from the job in August and had his last day on September 18.