Dear Mount Rainier Residents,
The City Council acknowledges the concerns of our community members regarding the Prince George’s County Fire and EMS Department’s temporary staffing adjustments at Station 855 (Bunker Hill Fire Station) and other fire stations within Prince George's County.
The City Council has actively engaged with County Fire Department Chief Tiffany Green to get clarification on this decision. The county-wide temporary staffing adjustment will be effective from July 1 to October 1, 2024, to address the critical shortage of firefighters in the County. The staffing shortage has resulted in mandatory overtime and extensive use of callbacks and holdovers to meet the minimum staffing requirements. These practices have become extreme, raising concerns for our career firefighters’ health, safety, and wellness.
In a recent discussion with Chief Green, Mayor Celina Benitez and Councilmember Valerie Woodall, along with other municipal mayors and commissioners addressed the concerns about these temporary staffing adjustments and potentially the increase in response times. Chief Green has assured that the reassignment of career fire and EMS personnel during the summer months was based on a rigorous study and ensures continuous emergency coverage.
Positive outcomes during these discussions include the confirmation of retaining the Bunker Hill Fire Station Battalion Chief at the station and the assurance that Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) will continue to be provided to areas covered by the Bunker Hill Fire Station, including the City of Mount Rainier. The County has also allocated funding for 150 career firefighter positions for the upcoming year, with a new class of firefighters already in progress.
While the PG County Fire Department’s summer staffing changes are in place, the City’s priority is the safety of our community. We will be meeting with Chief Green biweekly to assess and make recommendations as necessary.
Mayor Benitez, City Manager Kourosh Kamali, and Mount Rainier Volunteer Fire Department (MRVFD) Chief Jason Fisher also maintain regular communication to ensure the safety of our community during the summer staffing plan. Our Mount Rainier Volunteer Fire Department is also closely coordinating with the Brentwood Volunteer Fire Department to develop a plan to staff the Bunker Hill Fire Station with volunteers as much as they can to assist during these temporary county staffing adjustments.
In addition, the City continuously supports the recruitment and retention efforts of the Mount Rainier Volunteer Fire Department and will keep communicating with them through appropriate budget discussions to discuss MRVFD’s funding request.
As we continue to navigate these temporary staffing changes in the fire department, rest assured that we remain committed to ongoing collaboration with the County to ensure that emergency services will continue without disruption.
We will keep the community informed of any developments and changes regarding this matter.
For further inquiries, please contact us at council@mountrainiermd.org.
For those interested in joining the fire service as volunteers or career firefighters, please visit Prince George’s County Fire and EMS Career Opportunities.