The Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division in Clarksburg posthumously honors Bridgeport’s Frederick Bladen Smart for his lifelong commitment to making his community safer, stronger, and more prepared to handle emergency situations through his vision for emergency management. Accepting the Director’s Leadership Award was his wife Sandy Smart.

 

In 2000, as the bureau chief of the Harrison-Taylor 911 Center, Smart played a major role in the West Virginia Interoperable Radio Project. With limited resources, Smart updated the area’s public safety radio standards to digital radio communications for use by first responders. This allowed first responders to communicate with other agencies and mutual aid response teams during emergencies. This interoperable emergency communication system is essential to the public health and safety of communities, national security, and economic stability.

 

In addition, Smart was responsible for the development of an emergency preparedness plan and procedures for the Harrison County, West Virginia school system to aid law enforcement and rescue workers in responding to emergencies in schools, such as active shooter situations. The plan allows first responders to access camera feeds from the schools on their laptops or tablets so that they can assess a situation before arriving at the scene. West Virginia has adopted this plan and implemented it in all 55 counties.  Smart was involved in many community organizations, such as the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International, Inc., the West Virginia Enhanced 9-1-1 Council, and the West Virginia Emergency Management Council. On July 16, 2013, Mr. Smart lost a long and courageous battle with brain cancer.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo, courtesy of the FBI CJIS Division, shows Sandy Smart accepting the honor on her late husband Fred Smart's (pictured below) behalf from FBI Director James B. Comey at the FBI's headquarters.