The Frederick County Board of Elections announced changes for the 2022 Gubernatorial General Election including a new Early Voting site.

Early Voting will run from October 27 through November 3. Early Voting sites include the Thurmont Regional Library which will be open from 7 am to 8 pm for anyone wanting to vote early.

There will be eight drop boxes for mail-in ballots placed in convenient locations around the county. Voters may order a mail-in ballot and find drop box locations at www.frederickcountymd.gov/elections.

County Awarded $8.5 Million To Hire Firefighters

Frederick County has been awarded a grant of $8,565,688.64 from the Federal Emergency Management Administration to hire 32 additional uniformed firefighters in the Division of Fire & Rescue Services. The grant is the largest awarded to a Maryland fire service to date this year. The new positions allow Frederick County to make significant progress toward staffing engine and ladder trucks with four-person crews.

"This SAFER grant will allow us to improve staffing to keep our community and our firefighters safe," Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner said. "Through this grant, we will begin a multi-year process to transition to the nationally recommended crew size. We are extremely grateful for the support of our federal delegation for their work to secure these funds so we can better serve and protect our community."

The grant is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. When the new positions are filled, the Division of Fire & Rescue Service will have 572 operational career firefighters. Frederick County’s combined fire service also includes approximately 700 volunteer responders across 25 independent companies.

Increasing engine and ladder truck crews is one of the 137 recommendations made by an external review panel that examined the Aug. 11, 2021, house fire in Ijamsville that claimed the life of Battalion Chief Joshua Laird. Another 69 recommendations will be addressed through operational policies and procedures that are currently being updated.

Executive Gardner also announced that she is committing a portion of Frederick County’s federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to address nearly three dozen additional recommendations of the review panel. The mostly one-time expenses include additional training, improved markings on equipment and apparatus; 55 additional thermal cameras; antidote kits to reverse the effects of smoke inhalation; the reprogramming of radio consoles and installation of a digital repeater system to improve communications; and the creation of a more robust health and safety office within the Division of Fire & Rescue Services.

Permitting, Inspection Portal Earns High Marks

An online portal for permits and inspections applications allowed Frederick County’s economy to grow during the past two years. A recent survey of portal users gave the land management system positive scores for its ease of use and overall performance. The system, which won an International Customer Service Excellence Award in 2020, earned high marks in a survey conducted this year by the Division of Planning and Permitting.

"I am proud to say that Frederick County is a great place to do business," County Executive Jan Gardner said. "Even during a pandemic, we experienced growth, with more than 100 businesses launching, locating, or expanding in our community. At the heart of any thriving economy is a professional and efficient Permitting Department. It’s a big task, and one that Frederick County has done exceptionally well in recent years."

Permits are an important tool for local government to ensure that work is done safely to protect the health, welfare and safety of the community. Thousands of people have accounts on Frederick County’s portal. They include engineers, surveyors, contractors, and property owners. The portal accepts electronic applications for planning, building permits, trade licenses, and more. People can also request services, look up public records, make payments, and view inspectors’ reports on the portal. More than 70% of the portal’s users were satisfied or very satisfied with the system, which launched in December of 2019. Only 12% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction.

The Division of Planning and Permitting compiled comments from the survey to identify areas for improvement. Upgrades to the land management system soon will be phased in, starting this fall. Training for portal users will be held each Thursday at 10 a.m.. To register or learn more, visit www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/Planning.

Mobile Crisis Team Assists Over 1,000

Frederick County’s Mobile Crisis Services program has saved lives by preventing suicides and connecting people in crisis to treatment and services. During Fiscal Year 2022, the first full year of operation, the program assisted 1,059 individuals, including over 400 assessments and interventions. The Mobile Crisis Services team brings social workers, counselors and other specialists to people who are experiencing a crisis, such as substance abuse, homelessness or mental health concerns.

"Without a doubt, our mobile crisis program has been a success and delivered positive outcomes for people in crisis," Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner said. "Our community partners are working together to bring the right services to people where they are and when they need them."

The Mobile Crisis Services team’s social workers and mental health experts respond around the clock when requested by law enforcement, the County’s 9-1-1 center, or by the 2-1-1 and 9-8-8 crisis hotlines managed by the Mental Health Association of Frederick County . Staffing is provided through Sheppard Pratt. The service is managed by the Frederick County Health Department.

Because of the program’s early success, Executive Gardner included an additional $756,000 in her FY23 budget to expand Mobile Crisis Service in order to better serve rural areas of Frederick County. The initiative is supported by local law enforcement. The team will have work space at the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, will participate in roll calls with deputies, and will ride along in patrol cars to further strengthen the partnership with FCSO.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis, call 2-1-1. For more information about addiction treatment and recovery services available through the Frederick County Health Department, visit Health.FrederickCountyMD.gov, call 301-600-1755, or email BHS@FrederickCountyMD.gov.