Frederick, Fort Detrick Partnerships Earn Award from U.S. Army

Jan Gardner
Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner and Fort Detrick Garrison Commander Col. Scott M. Halter accept the 2018 Army Community Partnership Award (photo courtesy of Frederick County Government)

Frederick County Government and Fort Detrick were honored this week as winners of a 2018 Army Community Partnership Award. Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner and Fort Detrick Garrison Commander Col. Scott M. Halter accepted the award at the Hall of Heroes in the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

According to a press release:

Frederick County and Fort Detrick were honored for two initiatives: dispatching Fort Detrick emergency calls from the County’s 9-1-1 center and assisting Fort Detrick with the disposal of general municipal waste.

“Frederick County is pleased to partner with Fort Detrick to make life better for the people who live and work here,” Executive Gardner said. “Together, we keep our communities safe. We are happy to be recognized for our unique community collaboration with Fort Detrick.”

“As good stewards of our taxpayers’ monies both at the county level and at the Army; we are always trying to find ways that we can do what we are doing now at less cost. These partnerships allow us both to save money and improve performance,” said Col. Halter.

Frederick County has a longstanding public safety partnership with the installation. Building on that relationship, in September 2017 the county and Fort Detrick signed an agreement that connects the County’s 9-1-1 Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system to Fort Detrick’s dispatch center. The system provides immediate access to information, which helps responders reach people in need faster. The arrangement saved the installation $500,000 in direct costs.

In August, Executive Gardner and Col. Halter signed an agreement to temporarily allow the installation to bring ordinary household and office waste to the county’s landfill transfer station. At the same time, a process began that could bring a longer-term solution. The County’s Solid Waste Management Plan must be amended to allow ordinary trash from the installation to be brought to the county’s landfill. The amendment has been approved by the County Council. Final approval from the Maryland Department of the Environment is expected later this month.

The Army Community Partnership Recognition Ceremony highlights examples of exceptional cooperation and diligence that will encourage continued collaboration to achieve the full potential of community partnerships.

Read the full press release for more information.