Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Is anyone home? New Prince George's County overtime reduction plan leaves some firehouses empty. Volunteers staff others.
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Watch 9NEWS NOW 6:00 PM report (or here)See July and August staffing schedule
With the new budget year starting, the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department is trying to do more with less. This means removing career staffing from firehouses on a rotating basis and, in at least one case on Wednesday, forcing a firehouse to close.
Department spokesman Mark Brady confirms the county does not have the money to staff fire stations as it has done in previous budgets. In recent weeks the department has been redeploying firefighters on a smaller scale, but now is doing this in as many as six fire stations at a time across the county.
To fill in, Prince George's County is relying on volunteer firefighters. While volunteer firefighters have long made up a large percentage of the firefighting force in the county, using volunteers to reduce overtime for career firefighters is a relatively new concept.
County officials say that plan worked in at least four stations on Wednesday. But as STATter911.com confirmed, the Calverton Fire Station (Station 841) was left without staffing throughout the day.
It took just 90-seconds for a TV news crew to make it the half-mile from Station 841 to Evans Trail after Willie Smith's niece, Deborah, called 911 Wednesday afternoon. The 66-year-old man was complaining of chest pains.
PGFD Chief Spokesman Mark Brady confirms it took about 8-minutes for the closest ambulance to arrive at the apartment complex. That ambulance was staffed by volunteers from Branchville (Station 811), about 4-miles from Evans Trail. They were soon joined by paramedics from the College Park Station (Station 812).
Brady confirms that Station 811 was the fourth closest fire station to the call. Two closer ambulances were tied up with other emergencies.
Deborah Smith said she was wondering why it took crews longer than usual to respond. Smith called it "scary" after learning the local firehouse was closed.
A short time later an ambulance from College Park responded past the Calverton Fire Station to assist a person who had fallen at a senior citizen's complex across the street from the firehouse.
The career firefighters are being redeployed to fill other gaps. Brady says, "We are trying to make the best use of the resources we have".
The plan, put together by Acting Chief Eugene Jones, makes it clear there is no money to staff stations even when volunteers are unable to provide the crews. In those cases, as in Calverton on Wednesday, the stations will be closed. The fire department previously spent as much as $250,000 in overtime every two weeks to keep the stations staffed. The current budget caps the spending at about $60,000.
At the same time, the department has been losing career firefighters to retirement with no new recruit classes scheduled. Brady says the current number of career firefighters is hovering around 700, considerably less than it was a decade ago when it hovered near 800.
Besides Branchville, volunteers filled shifts on Wednesday in West Lanham, Bowie, and Glenn Dale. Some volunteer chiefs have told STATter911.com that filling these shifts during day time hours, when many volunteers have other jobs, can be difficult. Those chiefs, who did not want to be identified, say they aren't certain how this will play out in the long run.
Station 841, like some others in the county, has little volunteer participation. Brady said the department did not expect it to be staffed on Wednesday.
According to Brady, part of the plan has the number of firefighters slightly increased at adjacent stations during these periods. For example, while station 841 did not have firefighters assigned from 7:00 AM until 3:00 PM, Station 831 (Beltsville) had an extra firefighter, allowing it to have a dedicated crew for its ambulance. Normally career staffing for the day is four, meaning only two firefighters are left on an engine company if the ambulance is on a call.
How about giving props to those Volunteer stations that have had to step up and cover against there requests to keep Career staffing.
: July 1, 2009 11:17 PM Did you read and watch the story? I think I made it pretty clear. Here is it again -
"Besides Branchville, volunteers filled shifts on Wednesday in West Lanham, Bowie, and Glenn Dale. Some volunteer chiefs have told STATter911.com that filling these shifts during day time hours, when many volunteers have other jobs, can be difficult. Those chiefs, who did not want to be identified, say they aren't certain how this will play out in the long run.
Station 841, like some others in the county, has little volunteer participation. Brady said the department did not expect it to be staffed on Wednesday."
Just for the record, it really isn't news that a fire station responds on calls. But at the same time I do agree the public should know that volunteers were filling in on Wednesday at most of the stations where they have been requested to do so. That's why I mentioned it in both of my TV reports (6 and 11), on wusa9.com and on STATter911.com.
Statter
Great coverage. But do you think anyone cares? Not anyone outside those who read the watchdesk. The citizens don't caree as long as someone shows up. They don't care who it is, or where they came from, just that they are there.
If the public cared they would repeel TRIM, and pay for the service they need.
: July 2, 2009 6:23 AM I have run many fires and cut jobs on the squad with two.
: July 2, 2009 7:33 AM : July 2, 2009 7:42 AM That chief was referring to WHEN a fire suppression employee will DIE because of this POLITICAL game. This applies to PG as well! The POLITICIANS in Marlboro and Annapolis JUST DON'T GET IT! They can "find" money to fund and grant for flowers in parks and story times for "the kids" and trips to far away lands, but they CAN'T "find" money or grants for PRIORITY services such as Police and Fire which SAVE LIVES!
I would say that this would be on their consciences, but the political bigwigs HAVE NO CONSCIENCES!
: July 2, 2009 8:04 AM You're an idiot. It's not 1619 that needs the Volunteers - it's the citizens and the taxpayers, which make-up the local government that represents their fellow citizens and taxpayers. 1619 and the PG government are not one-in-the-same as much as most of the self-conscious Volunteers believe they are, though I'm sure your friendly labor organization would still love to see the Volunteers eat it.
: July 2, 2009 10:32 AM News truck at empty fire station, call for a cardiac arrest two blocks away.
5th due engine + 9th due ambulance + "no medic unit available"
Compelling TV!
<<<< >>>>>
Maybe Dave should start carrying an AED.
<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>
I guess the volunteers do not have enough daytime members to help each other out ... with a roving engine company to fill-in where needed.
: July 2, 2009 11:14 AM It looks likes the county goverment is who needs you..and more importantly the people of the county who needs you.
"Don't only focus on Co 41 in Calverton. That has been an all career department for a long time"
Okay lets look at companies like 35,48 and 18 who constantly fail after 3pm if your going to throw stones dont live in a glass house.
: July 2, 2009 11:19 AM I am not defending their rediculous decision to not man these stations. But when you have a revolving door at the top (a perpetual Acting Chief) years of mismanagement at all levels PAID and Volunteer,a corrupt government, a union that grabbed too much of the wrong things while they should have been working for better relations with the citizens and volunteers. This is the outcome!.
Oh and lets also thank the volunteers, wheres your pipeline of knuckleheads from the north that don't give a crap about the people of PG county???, you know...the ones that will race to a call smash into a few cars and then aren't sure what to do to put a knock on it. It's only gonna get worse next year Dave. You don't have enough film in your camera for those stories.
Please don't say County and 1619 in the same breath.
Local 1619 has nothing to do with this staffing plan, and has not called on the volunteers to replace us.
: July 2, 2009 11:34 AM WTF?????
: July 2, 2009 12:45 PM : July 2, 2009 1:25 PM The way I see it, PGFD top management is playing a game where cutbacks will be escalated until somebody gets hurt or killed, and then they'll use that as the justification (with public opinion behind them) to go back to the County Exec and secure additional funding from other areas of County government. While I understand the strategy, I have a huge problem with the ethics. I'm going to have an even larger problem if it's myself or someone I work with in PGFD who is "volunteered" into the hospital or the grave.
: July 2, 2009 3:45 PM : July 2, 2009 5:06 PM Wake Up!!! It's 2009. the days of Uncle Frank and Jim-bob getting out of the tabaco feild and getting out the first due wagon or AMBULANCE are over. PGFD is a major metopolitan fire department and is relying on volunteers. Don't get me wrong as much as I hate to say it 33 and the companies around UMD do a good job getting the fire trucks and ambo (minus 33) out the door. But thats a handfull of companies. Volunteer companies have said it themselves, "We can't get fire trucks out the door during the day time". The tax payers deserve fire protection around the clock. Beltsville vfd (31) wants credit for picking up 41's slack, if they can pick up 41's slack during the day time then get rid of the shift people and up staff 41 like a real fire department. I don't know if anyone else has heard the radio today but it sounds like the volunteers in Oxon Hill are doing a great job getting out today (insert sarcasim here)
: July 2, 2009 8:41 PM : July 2, 2009 8:46 PM Dude, of all the problems this county is facing this is the best you could come up with. This is exactly why we are where we are today, petty B.S.
Next time you post dont forget about all of the free chiefs cars with free taxpayer gas riding around town not running calls, because thats the downfall of P.G.
Jeez, some people are just oblivious.
: July 3, 2009 8:45 AM Just another sad commentary on what the once proud PGFD has become. Things will not change until strong leadership is put in place and supported politically so that the tough changes that need to be made can occur. Both career and volunteer personnel need to realize that as long as the petty bickering continues, the department - and the resources needed to run it properly - will not materialize. Elected officials and not going to throw additional money into a department that can't seem to make up its own mind what it wants. To resolve the issues and begin to move forward, you will need:
1. A strong Chief who has the support of County officials
2. A current strategic plan to guide the organization into the future
3. The proper funding needed to run a major, metro department
: July 4, 2009 7:59 AM : July 4, 2009 7:50 PM Links to this post:
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