Public Safety Memorial: A Tribute to Montgomery County's Fallen Officers

"As we honor these fallen officers, who were taken from us far too soon, let this memorial reflect our pledge to always remember their courageous actions.”
--Fire Chief Richard Bowers, Montgomery County

Every day, brave men and women dedicate their lives to protecting the people and property of Montgomery County. Unfortunately, each year members of our public safety community are injured and killed in the course of their duty. The Montgomery County Public Safety Memorial—the first memorial of its kind in the County—commemorates the courage and sacrifice of our fallen Public Safety personnel. The Memorial honors all branches of public safety including: Corrections and Rehabilitation; Police; Fire and Rescue Service; Park Police; and the Sheriff’s Office. The memorial was designed by nationally-recognized artist Ted Clausen.

His mission was to create a memorial which honored each of the County’s public safety departments and also reflected their vital relationship to each other. The memorial is entered by a pathway flanked by two stone pillars.“I designed this work to be a journey, leaving the public bustle of our everyday lives and moving toward the peace and introspection of the memorial space,” said Clausen. The circular memorial site is defined by five separate granite memorial stones, one for each County Agency. On the top polished surface of the stones are the names of the fallen officers: 16 County Police Officers, 12 Firefighters, one Deputy Sheriff and one Park Police Officer. 

In the planning since 1995, the memorial was dedicated on April 20, 2012 and is located at the edge of the manmade lake adjacent to the Public Safety Headquarters, 100 Edison Park Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20878. Click here to donate to the maintenance of the memorial.

About The Process

The Public Safety Memorial (PSM) is one of the treasures of Montgomery County's 868-piece public arts collection. AHCMC is the agency designated to manage the county's public art program and work with public and private developers to ensure the highest quality artwork for each location. For the memorial, AHCMC Public Arts Trust staff liaised with artist Ted Clausen, the PSM committee, and the county's Department of General Services to plan, fundraise, and implement the memorial.