GGCC Public Safety Awards 46 of the County’s Finest

The Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce honored Upcounty Police Officers, Special Operations Teams, Firefighters and Paramedics at their 20th Annual Public Safety Awards breakfast.

The event was held on Friday, August 14 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds.

This year we honored 46 of the County’s finest public safety officials from the Gaithersburg Police Department, Montgomery County Police 5th & 6th Districts and Montgomery County Fire & Rescue in following categories: Medal of Valor, Citation for Bravery, Distinguished Service Citation and Meritorious Service Citation. This year we are also honored four Girl Scouts from Girl Scout Troop #274 for their commitment to pedestrian safety.

This annual awards program provides the business community with an opportunity to publicly thank those who help maintain the quality of life in the Gaithersburg and Germantown area.

“This is one of the most important events we do each year. Our public safety personnel work very hard day in and day out to keep our community safe. The very least we can do is to honor them once a year,” said Marilyn Balcombe, GGCC Executive Director.

The morning began with three girls from Girl Scout Troop #274 – former City of Gaithersburg Junior Mayor Emma Leath, Anne Cooksey and Claudia Colon-Del Valle -receiving the Meritorious Service Citation for their efforts to promote pedestrian safety alongside Route 355 at Summit Avenue.

Eleven city of Gaithersburg Police Officers were awarded Meritorious Service Citations for three different citations including: a domestic assault case, a string of burglaries, and a possession with intent to distribute case.

As a result of their teamwork and quick actions two lives were saved and four 6^th District Montgomery County Police Officers were awarded the Citation of Bravery.

Five 6^th District Montgomery County Police Officers were awarded the Meritorious Service Citation for their work to combat an issue where women were being abused. The team developed, focused and executed a plan to target prostitutes and human traffickers with success.

For demonstrating swift and decisive actions reflective of the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service, four Fire Fighters were awarded the Medal of Valor. And for performing duties beyond expectation while bravely facing dangers of fire, smoke, unknown explosions and unsafe structures to potentially save lives, four Montgomery County Police 6^th District Police, Officers were awarded the Citation for Bravery. These awards stemmed from the December 8, 2014 tragic airplane crash in the Montgomery County Airpark that took the lives of three men and a mother and her two children.
Ten 5^th District Montgomery County Police Officers were awarded the Citation of Bravery for keeping with the highest tradition of law enforcement while dealing with an incident involving a violent criminal who was brought to justice and a serious threat to the community was quickly apprehended.

And the Medal of Valor was awarded to four 5^th District Montgomery County Police Officers for their heroic efforts that saved the life of a teenage suicide victim.

For the eighth year in a row, Paul Davis Restoration & Remodeling is the Title Sponsor of the event. For more than 40 years, Paul Davis Restoration & Remodeling craftsmanship and care has helped families and businesses overcome the devastating setbacks inflicted by fire, flood and wind.

Other sponsors include:

Official Gift Sponsor

• Lerner Enterprises

Shining Silver Sponsor

• City of Gaithersburg
• First Potomac Realty Trust
• Hughes Network Systems, LLC
• Mid-Atlantic Federal Credit Union
• omniNet+

Table Sponsor

• Asbury Methodist Village
• Berman, Sobin, Gross, Feldman & Darby, LLP
• ELaunchers.com
• EVO Payments International
• Fatemi Family & Gaithersburg Sedation Dentistry
• Gaithersburg Police Foundation
• Holy Cross Health Germantown Hospital
• i2 Design Group, LLC
• Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus
• Lakeforest Mall
• Lerner Enterprises
• Lerch, Early & Brewer, Chartered
• Montgomery County EFCU
• PCC Construction Components, Inc.
• Pepco
• Robert Cowdrey
• Rockin’ Jump
• Rodgers Consulting, Inc.
• Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center
• Therrien Waddell, Inc.
• United Security, Inc.

Gift Sponsor

• 4935 Bar & Kitchen
• Asia Nine
• Blackfinn Ameripub – DC
• Buca di Beppo
• Carrabba’s Italian Grill
• Chop’t Creative Salad
• Coastal Flats
• Corner Bakery Cafe
• Genesis Security Systems, LLC
• HBF Boutique
• Healthtrax Fitness & Wellness
• La Madeleine Country French Café
• LongHorn Steakhouse
• Melting Pot Gaithersburg
• Ogeis Chicken & Subs
• Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar
• Ruth’s Chris Steak House
• Sardi’s Restaurant
• Zoe’s Kitchen

Public Safety Official Recipient Sponsor

• GeneDx
• Genesis Security Systems, LLC
• Holiday Inn Express & Suites
• Linowes & Blocher, LLP
• Rossi Commercial Real Estate, LLC

2015 Special Event Sponsor: Bargain Movers

Photography Donated by: Sugarloaf Photography by Fabrizio

Honor Guard by: Gaithersburg Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department & the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department

The GGCC is active in providing business-to-business networking opportunities throughout the year: a collective voice in local, regional, and state legislative affairs, professional development opportunities and other services that enhance the business environment.

The GGCC is located at 910 Clopper Road, Suite 205N, Gaithersburg, MD. To learn more about the GGCC visit us at www.ggchamber.org. Find us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gaithersburg-Germantown-Chamber-of-Commerce/64339954570. Or on Twitter at @GGCCNEWS.

About Laura Rowles

Laura authors the blog Your Success is Our Business on MyMCMedia. Laura is the Director of Events & Marketing for the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce - a member-based organization of businesses that have joined together for the purpose of promoting the civic, commercial and industrial progress in our communities. The area's economic well-being is a result of the caliber of work that is done by the Chamber. The Chamber has a major impact on business, income and future growth of the area. My position at the Chamber - Director of Events & Marketing - affords me the opportunity to plan quality events for our Members and market the Chamber is a variety of avenues. At the GGCC, we typically have around 30 events each year including: breakfasts, lunches, after-five's, ribbon cuttings and special events. The consensus is we have high quality events with good energy. In 2012, we had over 2,040 people visit our events. Most our events are free to Members so securing sponsorships for all events. Additionally, I am responsible for planning networking, overseeing the budget and marketing of all events in order to make them successful. Lastly, I coordinate all marketing and communication efforts of the GGCC including weekly email blasts, its quarterly newsletter, all social media platforms, media relations and community outreach.

View all posts by Laura Rowles