By JONATHAN RIFFE
In the mid-1990s, the Calvert County (MD) Volunteer Fire and Rescue Departments struggled with a nationwide epidemic: increasing call volume with a disproportionate growth in staffing. With a bleak future on the horizon, plans were being made to implement career personnel to backfill the vacancies the volunteers were unable to cover. The volunteer fire, rescue, and emergency medical services were changing.
Calvert County is one of several Maryland counties that make up the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and is protected by six volunteer fire, rescue, EMS departments; one volunteer rescue squad; one volunteer advanced life support (ALS) department with several chase units; and one volunteer dive team. A few departments specialize in specific emergencies with the appropriate equipment, and members are trained in how to use it. For example, the Huntingtown (MD) Volunteer Fire Department (HVFD) specializes in confined space emergencies; in 2010, it responded to 2,255 emergencies.
If you are a current subscriber,login hereto access this content.
If you would like to become a subscriber, please visit ushere.
