2023 ANNUAL REPORT-FINAL

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MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

On behalf of the men and women of the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services (DFRS), it is my pleasure to present the Division’s annual report for Calendar Year 2023. Our annual report highlights the many activities and accomplishments of the Division over the last year and profiles the outstanding work of the men and women who provide your fire and rescue services. In 2023, our volunteer and career personnel answered 38,464 calls for emergency service, an average of 105 emergency responses per day. This level of operational tempo requires our organization to maintain a high state of readiness, which is accomplished through regular inspection and testing of our apparatus and equipment, as well as regular training to exercise the technical knowledge and skills of our personnel. These efforts ensure the provision of the high-quality emergency service response that our citizens deserve.

Thomas E. Coe

Chief

As in years past, 2023 was a very active year for our Fire/Rescue system. Our Fire/Rescue Service Stakeholders came together to jointly update the Frederick

County Fire/Rescue Service Delivery Plan. This document will guide our system’s facilities, apparatus, and staffing priorities through calendar year 2028. Additionally, a workgroup of Emergency Medical Service professionals worked to publish our organization ’ s ALS Deployment Plan which outlines a five-phase plan to grow our County’s ability to respon d to critical medical emergencies over the next three years. In line with both the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Service Delivery Plan and the ALS Deployment Plan, Frederick County recognized several service improvements in 2023. In September, the Division of Fire and Rescue Services was able to complete phase 1 of our 4-Person Staffing Plan by adding a firefighter at the Fire Engines at the Junior, Brunswick, Myersville, Guardian, Libertytown and Westview Fire Stations as well as the Ladder Truck at the Citizens Truck Company. With the addition of the additional firefighter, we were able to upgrade the fire engines at Juniors and Westview to become Paramedic-Engine Companies that now have the equipment and personnel to provide advanced life support care. Also, in 2023 we were able to house and begin to staff an ALS Chase Car at the Citizens Truck Company to be known as Medic 4. The additions of Medic 4 and Paramedic Engines 23 and 311 have allowed Frederick County to drastically reduce the time it takes to get a paramedic to the scene of a critical medical emergency. In September, we received word that Frederick County was awarded a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant through the Department of Homeland Security. The $9.7 million dollar grant will pay 100% of the salary and benefits for 32 firefighters for three years. The 32 firefighters represent the second step of a multi-step plan to implement 4-person minimum staffing on fire engines, rescue squads and aerial apparatus. The men and women of our Division remain focused on our mission of providing the best fire and emergency medical services possible to our community. I could not be more proud of the level of dedication and professionalism they display on a daily basis.

Chief Thomas E. Coe, Director