Maryland fire departments could be significantly understaffed without enough new recruits, some locals fear.
The Baltimore Banner reported Sunday that central Maryland fire departments have been reduced to fewer than 1,000 members at 45 stations with 80 vacant and budgeted positions.
From May to November 2023, the report noted that only about 1,400 new people applied for positions and only 39 applicants successfully advanced to the fire academy. This represented a dramatic drop from before the COVID-19 pandemic, when between 3,000 and 5,000 applicants were received.
“We're good today,” Maryland Association of Counties Deputy Director Dominic Butchko said. “But in five, 10, 15 years, if hiring still isn't at the level we need and retirements continue at pace, we'll be in trouble.”
Job applicants at fire departments have decreased significantly since the coronavirus pandemic. (Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services)
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Different The departments stated that while there is no central reason behind this drop, multiple factors could be influencing recruit reluctance. Primarily, Prince George's County job recruiters said fire departments are competing for higher-paying remote work for younger recruits.
“We're competing with travel jobs, IT, working from home — COVID exposed that all day,” said Kirk Spencer, a firefighter and medic assigned as a Fire/EMS Department recruiter. “This is it: show up, get your hands dirty. It's cold, it's hot and it's tough all the time.”
Others have suggested a generational shift in interest in being a firefighter with less passion for community involvement.
“It's a different applicant,” said Yolanda Smedley, human resources director for the fire department. “People don't answer the phone. People don't come dressed appropriately for the written exam. Basic things.”
Prince George's County firefighters lamented people's shift toward more remote work. (Photo by Robb Hill for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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Meanwhile, the mental, physical and emotional pressures of the job seemed to have taken their toll on the remaining workers. Some commented that “people are at their breaking point” with mandatory overtime shifts, and many working more than 24 hours per shift.
“It's time to come up with some creative approaches to attracting people into the workforce and helping them stay there once they're in it,” said Ted Delbridge, Maryland Emergency Medical Services Systems Institute.
In 2023, Maryland lawmakers passed a bill to establish a commission to study the issue and provide recommendations by December. Since then, some have suggested bills aimed at scholarships, higher education subsidies and loan repayment assistance that could encourage new recruits. Prince George's County also placed recruiters in local high schools to find potential “untapped interest.”
Maryland lawmakers have suggested adding scholarships and education grant incentives for potential recruits. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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According to the Baltimore Banner, Calvert County in particular offers “a minimum starting salary of about $46,000, although many members eventually earn more with overtime and promotions. After 20 years of service, members can retire with pensions equal to 50%.” of your highest salary, and will also be eligible for Social Security at age 65. The county pays up to 80% of health care costs both before and after retirement.”
