Gratitude for DC Government’s Frontline Staff

December 23, 2025

By: Sadie Arnett

Recognizing the frontline staff who keep DC safe, cared for, and moving forward 

One of the best parts of working at The Lab is getting to meet our colleagues on the frontlines of service delivery as we dig into research and design challenges together. These are the people that make District services run.  

This holiday season, we want to introduce you to three of those people—Leon, Inspector Smith, and Sheila. This year, we’ve worked with their agencies on projects to retain safety techs at school intersections, prevent fires through inspections, and support seniors’ access to healthy food.   

Keeping Kids Safe – Leon Garner, Safety Technician, District Department of Transportation (DDOT)

Many of us spend our mornings rushing to our destinations without thought for the people who keep us moving safely and efficiently. Each morning, Safety Technician Leon Garner is the eyes of his intersection, managing traffic to protect school children and other pedestrians from his post at a local middle school.  

“The biggest part of my job is keeping people, especially the kids, safe from drivers,” he explains. For the past two years, Leon has acted as a frontline defense against reckless driving behavior. Leon shared that his job is more dangerous than people think, with cars often rushing through his intersection without regard for him or pedestrians.  

Currently, The Lab and DDOT are working to understand how we support and keep safety techs, like Leon, on the job in an admittedly demanding role. Leon’s commitment to our community allows residents, especially our youngest, to move through the city safely. 

Fire Prevention – Matthew Smith, Fire Inspector, DC Fire & Emergency Medical Services

After serving as a firefighter for 20 years, Inspector Matthew Smith transitioned into his current role of Fire Inspector with DC Fire & EMS. As a member of the Fire Prevention Division, he focuses on inspecting properties for fire risk, educating residents on ways to prevent fires, and enforcing the fire code. “It’s important that I don’t just tell people they need a fire extinguisher,” he told us. “I have to explain why—educate—teach them why.” From overseeing pyrotechnics at concerts to connecting residents with case workers to help manage potentially hazardous circumstances, his work touches many corners of the District. 

The Lab has been working the Fire Prevention Division to use data and predictive modeling to help staff like Inspector Smith know which buildings are at a higher risk of fire. This information helps inspectors prioritize their time and plan their inspection routes. 

Inspector Smith's commitment to fire prevention means all of us can feel safer while seeing our favorite artists perform, dining out, or simply relaxing at home.  

Compassionate Call Center – Sheila Harley, Customer Service Communications Specialist, Department of Aging and Community Living (DACL)

District Government staff work to ensure that our most vulnerable residents aren’t overlooked or left behind. For Sheila Harley, a Customer Service Communication Specialist at DACL, that mission is personal. She’s the voice on the other end of the phone line when seniors or caregivers reach out for help. “I didn’t realize how much of an impact you can make by just listening and communicating with empathy,” she reflected.

Sheila’s day-to-day involves answering calls and emails from seniors and their caregivers, helping them understand the District’s programs and services, and coordinating with other teams to make sure information stays up to date. Beyond logistics, though, her work is about compassion. “Sometimes people just need to know someone is there to listen,” she told us. The call center where Sheila works is just one among many operated by the District to ensure residents don’t have to navigate tough situations alone. 

The Lab recently partnered with DACL to make it easier for seniors to access programs to get healthy food. Talking with staff like Sheila helped us understand how to best address seniors’ needs. 

Community Ties

Though their jobs differ, one thing is clear—these frontline staff all place a commitment to the DC community at the center of their work. Leon put it best near the end of our conversation. He reflected on how, as a safety tech, he became a fixture in his neighborhood: “I’ve built lifelong friends. Some of the kids have gotten older and go to different schools now, but they still come and visit me. Those relationships and the community make this job worthwhile for me.” Leon’s daily presence is not just about safety. For him, it is also about providing steady, reliable support that his neighbors know they can count on.

Inspector Smith explained that to be a successful and impactful fire inspector, you must go beyond enforcing the fire code and build genuine connections with people. “The relationships I have built with the community—you start to really know people—it’s very rewarding and important,” he shared. His prevention work is rooted in trust; a refection that we’ve heard from other inspectors as well. Whether he’s inspecting a restaurant's grease duct systems or helping ensure people who cannot afford heat stay warm, DC residents should know that when Inspector Smith shows up, he’s there to help.

For Sheila, public service is inseparable from compassion. “My passion is helping others. I’m a nurturer at heart, so I’m compassionate by nature. I find meaning in providing support or helping someone,” she shared. Sheila personally wants to make sure that each senior feels heard every time they call.

Three agencies, three jobs, one spirit. Leon, Inspector Smith, and Sheila prove that DC’s strength can be found in the people who show up every day to provide safety and compassion. We’re thankful for their work and the thousands of other public servants who keep DC running.