Arlington County Board Member Jay Fisette has been named to a statewide panel charged with reviewing 911 service in Virginia following the widespread system failures caused by the derecho that slammed this area in late June.

Gov. Bob McDonnell's Secure Commonwealth Panel's 911 sub-panel consists of 15 state and local government and private sector leaders from across Virginia, according to an Arlington County news release.

The group met for the first time last week in Richmond.

“Every citizen of the Commonwealth has a right to expect that when you have an emergency, you can rely on 9-1-1,” Fisette said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, we in Arlington — and in other Virginia jurisdictions — had a very different experience during the recent el derecho storm. For several days in Arlington, 9-1-1 service was spotty at best, posing real risks to public safety. As technology continues to evolve, it is imperative that we find a way to ensure that our 9-1-1 systems are 100 percent reliable.”

The commission also will examine how to prepare for the next technological generation of 911 service, the news release states.

An estimated 2.3 million people in Northern Virginia lost access to 911 service in the wake of the powerful wind storm.