$1 Million Investment from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation for Emergency Services Training Campus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – EASTON, MD (SEPTEMBER 22, 2023)

CONTACT: BRETT WHITEHEAD (302) 236-6249

The Friends of the Easton Volunteer Fire Department (EVFD) recently received a $1 million investment from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation for its Public Safety Capital Campaign for its Emergency Services Training Campus in Easton, Maryland. Located at 9095 Mistletoe Drive, the state-of-the-art training campus will serve the town of Easton, fire departments, emergency service personnel, law enforcement, and paramedics in Talbot County for specialized education and certification. Currently, volunteer firefighters on the Mid-Shore have two options for training facilities, Princess Anne in Somerset County or Centreville in Queen Anne’s County.

“The Clark Foundation is deeply committed to supporting the town of Easton, a place near and dear to my family and where our founders and my parents, A. James and Alice B. Clark, called home for many years,” said Clark Foundation Board Chair Courtney Clark Pastrick. “This investment is crucial in providing Talbot County’s first responders with the necessary resources and training to continue serving and protecting our community.”

Components of the project include a 3,500-square-foot concrete public safety building for first responder training; a 3,600-square-foot classroom training and storage building; and a 1,500-square-foot concrete pad for car fire, extrication/stabilization, and traffic safety training. Training for fire departments will include firefighting skills, rescue, and motor-vehicle fire/extraction. Law enforcement training will include hostage rescue, physical training/testing, traffic training, Homeland Security, and K-9. Emergency Medical Services can use classroom facilities for their training.

“The investment from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation has helped to jump-start our campaign. We can now see our dream for this facility become a reality,” states Daryl Caldwell, Captain of EVFD. “The Clark Foundation’s investment is an essential first step toward ensuring training is available for all emergency services in Talbot County, including our volunteer firefighters, our law enforcement, and our emergency services personnel and paramedics. The demand for these services continues to grow on the Mid-Shore and the training campus will help meet this critical need,” states Brett Whitehead, Co-Chairman of the campaign.

For further information or to donate to the Friends of the EVFD Public Safety Capital Campaign for its Emergency Services Training Campus in Easton, Maryland, contact Brett Whitehead at (302) 236-6249 or by email at whitenj20@gmail.com.

About the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation

The A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation partners with organizations to strengthen their ability to meet the needs of the individuals, families, and communities they serve. In keeping with Mr. Clark’s desire to spend down within a decade and maximize the impact of this funding, the Clark Foundation established its current philanthropic model in 2016. The Foundation focuses its philanthropy in three strategic areas: educating future engineering leaders, improving the lives of veterans and their families, and providing members of the DC community the best opportunity to thrive.

To learn more, visit: clarkfoundationdc.org.