The mission of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service is to provide maximum protection of lives, property and the environment with comprehensive risk reduction programs and safe and effective emergency response provided by highly skilled career and volunteer service providers representing the County's diverse population. The Fire and Rescue Service Capital Program provides for the repair and renovation of existing facilities and construction of new or replacement facilities at appropriate locations throughout the County to ensure prompt and efficient fire, rescue, and emergency medical services.County-wide fire, emergency medical and specialized rescue services, supported by an aggressive...

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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

The mission of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service is to provide maximum protection of lives, property and the environment with comprehensive risk reduction programs and safe and effective emergency response provided by highly skilled career and volunteer service providers representing the County's diverse population. The Fire and Rescue Service Capital Program provides for the repair and renovation of existing facilities and construction of new or replacement facilities at appropriate locations throughout the County to ensure prompt and efficient fire, rescue, and emergency medical services.

County-wide fire, emergency medical and specialized rescue services, supported by an aggressive community outreach component geared toward preventing the 9-1-1 call, is realized through the efforts of one of the largest combination fire and rescue service organizations in the country. Operating from thirty-seven (37) fire and rescue stations, and several satellite offices and facilities, primary staffing is widely provided by a career workforce supplemented by volunteers from nineteen (19) Local Fire and Rescue Departments (LFRD).

Departments (LFRD)

Volunteer staffing is provided within the framework of regulations, policies, and procedures established by County Code through the Fire Chief of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS). Volunteer support is supplemented by significant Fire Tax funding for equipment, training, and facility maintenance, renovations and additions.

The MCFRS, under the leadership of the Fire Chief, also directs and provides services in the areas of program development, fire prevention, fire and explosives investigations, communications, training, emergency medical services, and emergency management preparedness.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Design and construct a new White Flint Fire Station to house units currently operating out of Rockville Station 23 and support the White Flint community. This project will include enhancements to achieve Net Zero construction.
• Construct a permanent Clarksburg Fire Station, including the design and construction of the sewer for Historic Clarksburg.
• Continue apparatus replacement. The apparatus replacement program provides a steady stream of CIP funding to meet critical apparatus replacement needs. During the six-year period, it is anticipated that the following units will be replaced: seven aerials, 46 EMS units, 19 pumpers including one all-wheel drive brush truck, four rescue squads, two tankers, and 15 support vehicles.
• Fund planning for the Rockville Fire Station 3 and the Glen Echo Fire Station 11 renovation projects.
• Design and construct Female Facility improvements at Gaithersburg Fire Station 8 to expand and improve locker, shower, and restroom facilities to appropriately accommodate MCFRS personnel.
• Purchase heart monitor/defibrillators to replace units assigned to MCFRS advanced life support transport units, paramedic chase cars, engines, and the training academy that are approaching the end of their useful life.
• Continue to fund level-of-effort/ongoing maintenance projects including Life Safety Systems; Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning/Electrical Replacement; and Roof Replacement.
• Increase funding for the resurfacing of paved areas to accommodate new Americans with Disability (ADA) Act requirements.

PROGRAM CONTACTS

Contact June Evans of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service at 240.777.2459 or Rachel Silberman of the Office of Management and Budget at 240.777.2770 for more information regarding this department's capital budget.

CAPITAL PROGRAM REVIEW

The FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program for Fire and Rescue Service includes 11 ongoing projects totaling $126.0 million over six years. This represents a $4.7 million or 3.9 percent increase from the FY21-26 Amended Program of $121.3 million. This increase is due mainly to new costs added to the White Flint Fire Station project related to energy efficiency enhancements and escalation, scope increases to the Heart Monitor/Defibrillator Replacement, Life Safety Systems, and Resurfacing projects, cost escalation added to the apparatus project due to inflation and supply chain issues, and cost increases in the HVAC/Electrical: Fire Stations project to reflect the cost of recent projects.

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