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Public Safety Training Center Ribbon Cutting
About the PSTC
The Public Safety Training Center is a state-of-the-art facility that provides a space for different disciplines of public safety to work and train together in simulated real-life emergency situations. Those in the field of public safety will be able to gain new and improved skills to help continue to serve and protect the citizens of Washington County, Maryland.
Agenda
Doors Open at 5:00 p.m.
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. – Light Refreshments
6:00 p.m. – Ceremony to Begin
6:30 p.m. – Ribbon Cutting
6:45 p.m. – Open House and Tours
Speaker Bios
Thomas B. Riford, Maryland Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary
Thomas B. Riford is an award-winning public relations and marketing professional with an extensive background in tourism and film. He presently serves as the Maryland Department of Commerce’s Assistant Secretary and is responsible for managing the Maryland Office of Tourism, the Maryland Film Office, and the Maryland State Arts Council, as well as overseeing the Commerce’s marketing and communications efforts. He is exceptionally active in the Western Maryland community. In 2021, he was appointed to the Maryland Semiquincentennial Commission and currently serves on numerous boards, including the Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown, the Hagerstown Aviation Museum board, and the board of directors for the Maryland Humanities Council.
During his career, Riford has served as executive director of the Thomas Kennedy Center Inc, president and CEO of the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, vice president of Homewood Retirement Center, and as marketing director for the Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission. Riford also has decades of experience as a reporter in Hagerstown on WJEJ and other radio stations. He has received several awards from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In 2013, he was awarded the Governor’s Tourism Marketing Award and was the recipient of the John Frye Historical Preservation Advocate Award. In 2019, he was presented with an Order of Chivalry and named Knight Commander in the Order of Prince Danilo for his lifetime of charitable and nonprofit work. Riford holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and is a decorated Marine Corps veteran.
Jeffrey A. Cline, Board of County Commissioners President
A third-term County Commissioner, Cline serves as President of the Board of County Commissioners and is a Williamsport, Maryland, resident. Heis a graduate of Williamsport High School and Hagerstown Community College. Cline has experience as a realtor since 2003. He graduated from the Maryland Association of Realtors’ 2008 Leadership Academy and received the Graduate of Realtor Institute (GRI) designation. Cline served on the Williamsport Town Council from 2005 to 2009. He is also a graduate of Leadership Washington County Class 26.
R. David Hays, Division of Emergency Services Director
R. David Hays was appointed as Emergency Services Director for Washington County in 2016, serving in that capacity for the last six years. Prior to being appointed to the position of Director, Hays worked 16 years for Community Rescue Service as the Assistant Chief of Operations. He previously worked for Washington County for eleven years in the Emergency Communications Center (911). Hays has served on the Emergency Services Advisory Council, the Washington County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Chiefs Committee and was past Chairman of the EMS and Standards Committees. Throughout Hays’s career, he has held many offices in both fire and EMS. He has participated in several strategic fire and EMS planning initiatives for Washington County, to include serving on the Committee that wrote a white paper for the newly constructed PSTC. Hays also serves on the Maryland Incident Management Team, having served on multiple Team deployments.
Douglas W. Mullendore, Sheriff
Sheriff Douglas W. Mullendore has served the community of Washington County for nearly five decades. His career began in 1974 as a police officer for the Town of Boonsboro. In 1982, he was hired by the Sheriff’s Office, and, in that same year, he completed the Western Maryland Police Academy. He has since been promoted five times within the Sheriff’s Office, awarded the Sheriff’s Association “Deputy of the Year” in 1983 and 1996, appointed as First Director for the Washington County Narcotics Task Force in 1988, and has furthered his education by obtaining his bachelor’s degree and completing numerous trainings.
In December of 2006, Mullendore was sworn in as Sheriff for Washington County. During his tenure as Sheriff, he obtained his credentials as a Search Manager for missing persons through the Maryland State Police and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. He also had the agency certified under the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. He presently serves on the Western Maryland Incident Management Team and is planning for his retirement at the end of 2022.
Kevin L. Lewis, Deputy Director of Administrative Services
Kevin L. Lewis has been involved in fire and emergency services for over 30 years. His career began in Frederick County as a volunteer firefighter and medic with Frederick County ALS. From 1987 to 2006, he served as a career paramedic, instructor, and company officer with the Baltimore County Fire Department. Lewis joined Washington County Government in 2006 as the Deputy Director of the Washington County Division of Fire and Emergency Services. He was then appointed Director in 2008. In February 2016, Lewis became the Deputy Director of Emergency Services for Administrative Services, 911, and Training and is responsible for overseeing and participating in all public safety training, including Communications, EMS, Fire, and Rescue. Kevin also serves as a representative to the Maryland Fire and Rescue Education Training Commission as a governor appointee.
G. Dale Fishack, Jr., President of Washington County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association
Glenn Dale Fishack has served thirty-nine years in the fire service. His dedication for serving the community of Washington County first began as a child due to his family’s involvement in the Smithsburg Fire Department. He officially started his career as an Explorer Scout at the Smithsburg Community Volunteer Fire Company when he was fourteen and then became a member at eighteen. He has since served as an active member holding many officer positions, including Lieutenant, Fire Chief, Board of Director, and Assistant Treasurer. He presently services as the President of the Washington County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. He is also a member of the Smithsburg Emergency Medical Service and currently serving as the Chief for this department. Fishack holds his Bachelor of Science in Fire Science from the University of Maryland. He is also a ’83 Eagle Scout graduate and former Scout Master for the Boy Scouts of America Troop 14.
Progress of the Public Safety Training Center
The video below showcases progress photos of the Public Safety Training Center from November 2017 to August 2022.
Public Safety Training Center
18350 Public Safety Place,
Hagerstown, MD 21740
