Albemarle County receives achievement awards from National Association of Counties

Albemarle County has been recognized with Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACO).

Nationally, awards are given in 18 different categories that reflect the vast, comprehensive services counties provide. The categories include children and youth, criminal justice, county administration, information technology, health, civic engagement and many more. Albemarle County was given two achievement awards within these 18 categories.

Additionally, for the fifteenth year in a row, Albemarle County was named among the top ten most technologically advanced, cutting edge county governments of its size by NACO and the Center for Digital Government (CDG) in their annual Digital Counties Survey.

 

Regional Firearms Range Training Facility

Under the category of County Administration and Management, Albemarle County was recognized by NACO with an achievement award for the new Regional Firearms Training Center. The center provides unprecedented training and education for our local law enforcement agencies. The project created a state-of-the-art training environment, helping to hone skills in situational awareness and decision-making, to provide a safe and effective response to the type of complex threats facing law enforcement today and into the future. The funding, construction, and operations of the facility is the result of a strong partnership between Albemarle County, the City of Charlottesville, and the University of Virginia.

 

Turnout Gear Repair Program

Under the category of Community and Economic Development, NACO recognized the County for the Albemarle County Fire Rescue (ACFR) Turnout Gear Repair Program. The County’s Innovation Fund provided ACFR the funding needed to turn a previously fragmented and cost-deficient process into an efficient, centralized system for repair. This included gear repair equipment and materials, outfitting space at a fire station for storage and a designated gear repair room, and travel expenses for ACFR to receive training to efficiently repair gear. Firefighter then taught a group of volunteers how to repair the turnout gear. Through this program, what once cost between $100-$150 and took an average of 12 days to repair a piece of gear has fallen to as little as $5 and 24 hours per piece of gear.

 

First in the Nation for Delivering Digital Services

Albemarle County, which competed with hundreds of counties nationwide, ranks first in the nation and first in Virginia for utilizing information technology to deliver high quality service to its customers and citizens based on a population category of 150,000 or less. The survey identifies the best technology practices among U.S. counties, including initiatives that streamline delivery of government services, encourage collaboration and shared services, enhance cybersecurity and even reduce carbon emissions. Albemarle’s submission focused on our efforts to provide efficient technological services to the community, including the expansion of broadband services in rural areas; the initiative to enhance digital records management and reduce paper; and Public Safety through the new Public Safety Computer Aided Dispatch System.

“These awards are a testament to Albemarle County’s commitment to innovative, effective programs that enhance services for residents,” said Interim County Executive, Doug Walker. “Every day we strive to think creatively and act collaboratively to meet complex challenges and achieve positive results. These award-winning programs are each a shining example of our commitment to excellence in serving the public.”