Washington County Fire Questions

[Gilligan]

I'm hoping that someone can answer a few questions for me that I've been curious about lately.

For someone to get involved as a volunteer firefighter, how much time and money is required at the training level and once you're active? I'm working over 70 hours a week right now, so it's probably not feasible for me to try, but it's something I've always thought about getting involved with, even if not here in Hagerstown. I just wish I had more than a few minutes of free time...

I keep seeing firefighters in uniform around town, and so I'm curious as to how many, or maybe what rough percentage, of all the firefighters in the city/county, are paid vs volunteer. I guess I find it hard to understand how fires can actually be fought with only a limited paid, on-call staff, but I'm sure it works somehow. In my mind, I can imagine a fire being dispatched and only the driver showing up. What happens when stuff like that happens?

From a realistic point of view, is this scenario how the process actually works? A fire occurs and the call gets dispatched. The few paid, on-site firefighters get on the truck and go to the fire. People working regular full-time jobs (and some who are not at work when the call goes out) hear the call on their pagers and go fight the fire. So that if it were not for volunteers stepping in and giving their time and risking their lives, the fires couldn't be fought. I guess what I'm asking is if our city/county fire department is entirely dependent on the volunteer firefighting force?

Thanks for any input on these questions.

 

[ocguard]

I'm hoping that someone can answer a few questions for me that I've been curious about lately.

For someone to get involved as a volunteer firefighter, how much time and money is required at the training level and once you're active? I'm working over 70 hours a week right now, so it's probably not feasible for me to try, but it's something I've always thought about getting involved with, even if not here in Hagerstown. I just wish I had more than a few minutes of free time...

I keep seeing firefighters in uniform around town, and so I'm curious as to how many, or maybe what rough percentage, of all the firefighters in the city/county, are paid vs volunteer. I guess I find it hard to understand how fires can actually be fought with only a limited paid, on-call staff, but I'm sure it works somehow. In my mind, I can imagine a fire being dispatched and only the driver showing up. What happens when stuff like that happens?

From a realistic point of view, is this scenario how the process actually works? A fire occurs and the call gets dispatched. The few paid, on-site firefighters get on the truck and go to the fire. People working regular full-time jobs (and some who are not at work when the call goes out) hear the call on their pagers and go fight the fire. So that if it were not for volunteers stepping in and giving their time and risking their lives, the fires couldn't be fought. I guess what I'm asking is if our city/county fire department is entirely dependent on the volunteer firefighting force?

Thanks for any input on these questions.

All fire training for volunteer firefighters in MD is free of charge to the volunteer, provided by the Maryland Fire/Rescue Institute (MFRI) through state and local monies. Likewise, volunteer fire, rescue, and EMS members can receive free EMS training through the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) to varying levels depending on your organization and/or jurisdiction. For the most part, and volunteer member in MD can obtain EMT-B free of charge. Some jurisdictions have free EMT-I classes as well.

Some volunteer departments/companies may charge new members certain fees, such as for background fees, etc. This varies from company to company, and the amount is usually nominal. Additionally, if a department hosts a non-MFRI course/class, it may cost the company money, which may be extended to a participation member. Some department have yearly "dues" which may cost a member between $1 and $20 yearly.

The biggest commitment is time. Entry level firefighter training is over 150 hours worth of courses. EMT-Basic training is 130 hours classroom. Add to that additional basic training in vehicle rescue, ropes, water rescue, advanced firefighting, fire officer, etc., and a volunteer member could log thousands of hours of training time. Many trainings require re-certification every year to three years.

As for departments that have combination career/volunteer/on-call personnel, these types of departments operate around the state and around the country everyday.

I can't speak for Washington County specifically, but in general, departments with limited career staffing are often augmented by recall of off-duty personnel, paid-on-call personnel, and volunteer personnel. Your example is right on track. If initial arriving units cannot handle the incident with the on-scene staffing, additional departments are called. A nationwide trend has more and more departments being dispatched to "routine" incidents because there is an ever-decreasing number of volunteers, and, in many cases, a decrease in the number of career personnel on duty at any one time.

There are still areas in Maryland (and MANY areas nationwide) where the fire department system is 100% volunteer. Again, I can't speak to how Washington County works, but I'm sure volunteers are heavily relied upon in the rural areas.

Volunteering, overall, is a great investment. After the initial time commitments for training and getting "broken in," the benefits are never-ending. When you fight your first house fire or have your first vehicle rescue, you'll know right away that the personnel commitment was worth it.

 

[ocguard]

Call volumes are ever-increasing. Sadly, the increasing number of calls are either EMS calls or "nuisance" calls. These, in many cases, are simply not as appealing. In response, you see the number of volunteers turning out for the calls dwindling. I hate to be derogatory, but who wants to get out of bed at 3am for free to go to some moron's house because their water pipe burst and they never learned how to turn a valve. It happens.

 

[Gilligan]

Where is Hagerstown FD Captain 30 stationed? I heard a call go out about a mile from HFD Station 4 (Western Enterprise on Washington St). They called Engine 4, Truck 4, Utility 3, and Captain 30. Where does the "30" designation come from, as I'm used to hearing the county stations with the administrator's designation corresponding to their company number?

 

[Gilligan]

Also, who are 1801 & 1802, as well as EMA and EMA2? I think they may be press/media related...

 

[washcofire]

HFD officers and others

Hagerstown Fire Department has 3 Battalion Chiefs, (BC1,BC2,BC3). Up until late last year HFD also had 3 Captain's, (CA31,CA32,CA33). There were retirements at the Battalion level and the Captain's at the time were promoted. Captain 30 was a new title created. The current Captain 30 also holds the title of Safety 3. All of the battalion officers are based out of the HFD Office beside the City Market on Church Street. 1801 is the Director of Fire and Emergency Services for Washington County and 1802 is the Deputy Director. EMA1 is the Emergency Management Director and EMA2 is the Emergency Planner.

 

[Gilligan]

Thanks so much for all the great info!