Calvert safety department celebrates new headquarters

Although its current occupants have been there for nearly nine months, Tuesday was a day of celebration for Calvert County’s public safety department at their new building at 110 Main Street in Prince Frederick.

The building was sold to county government last September by Armory Road LLC for the price of $2.05 million. Staff moved into the building the following month.

“The opportunity came up and we felt it was the right time,” Commissioner Earl F. “Buddy” Hance (R) said of the transaction after county officials were approached by the building’s owners.

In a memo to the county commissioners, Dave McDowell, public safety director, said the building currently houses the department’s administrative staff, the false alarm reduction unit, fire-rescue-emergency services and career emergency medical services.

Just prior to conducting the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, McDowell said the immediate goals he had for the new location were “to get 911 dispatchers out of the courthouse basement and consolidate offices.”

In providing a quick tour of the new building, Crystal Dowd, deputy director of public safety, told Southern Maryland News, “We really haven’t had an opportunity to do any remodeling because our end goal is to make this into our communications center.”

Right now the emergency operations are being conducted at a site outside of the Prince Frederick town center.

In addition to offices, the new building has space for training sessions, staff meeting space, plus storage of materials used during outreach events.

Dowd said having department personnel under one rood “absolutely” will improve the county’s response to big emergencies.

For more information on Calvert’s public safety services, go to www.calvertcountymd.gov/120/Public-Safety/.