Mission Statement

The mission of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) 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.

MCFRS consists of the Office of the Fire Chief; Division of Operations; Division of Human Resources; Division of Fiscal Management; Division of Support Services; Division of Volunteer Services; the Fire and Emergency Services Commission; and 19 Local Fire and Rescue Departments (LFRD). MCFRS operates 37 fire and rescue stations and several satellite offices.

Budget Overview

The total recommended FY24 Operating Budget for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service is $266,818,826, an increase of $14,153,205 or 5.60 percent from the FY23 Approved Budget of $252,665,621. Personnel Costs comprise 83.42 percent of the budget for 1,361 full-time position(s) and one part-time position(s), and a total of 1,363.01 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 16.58 percent of the FY24 budget.

The total Recommended FY24 Operating Budget for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service is $266,818,826 an increase of $14,153,205 or 5.6 percent from the FY23 Approved Budget of $252,665,621. Personnel Costs comprise 83.4 percent of the budget for 1,361 full-time positions, one part-time position, and a total of 1,363.01 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 16.6 percent of the FY24 budget.

The Debt Service for the Fire Tax District Fund is appropriated in the Debt Service Fund and is, therefore, not displayed in this section. To pay for the Debt Service, a transfer of funds from the Fire Tax District Fund to the Debt Service Fund of $9,311,730 for general obligation debt and $6,511,050 for other debt is required.

In addition, this department's Capital Improvements Program (CIP) requires Current Revenue funding.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following is emphasized:

• Safe Neighborhoods

Program Performance Measures

Performance measures for this department are included below (where applicable), with multi-program measures displayed at the front of this section and program-specific measures shown with the relevant program. The FY23 estimates reflect funding based on the FY23 approved budget. The FY24 and FY25 figures are performance targets based on the FY24 recommended budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY25.

Initiatives

• Add a civilian Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer to support efforts to normalize conversations on equity and operationalize new equity centered practices, policies, and procedures in the Fire and Rescue Service. This enhancement implements a recommendation of the recently completed MCFRS equity assessment.

• Add a uniformed Community Action Coordinator and two civilian Community Risk Reduction specialists to deliver targeted prevention and education services including bystander CPR, opiate overdoses, and bleeding control in vulnerable communities. These positions will also ensure communities are connected to sustained services to address their needs in the aftermath of traumatic events.

• Add an Administrative Specialist III and a Program Manager II to provide administrative contract and human resources support to this department of more than 1,300 employees.
• Add a civilian Investigator III to expedite internal affairs investigations and reduce unnecessary overtime associated with administrative leave.

• Enhance the Division of Support Services by adding an Information Technology Specialist III to manage the Public Safety Land Mobile Radio System and a Fleet Road Technician to service apparatus in our fire stations to reduce the amount of time units are kept out of service.

• Add a uniformed Critical Incident Stress Management manager and a supervisory psychologist to enhance mental health supports for first responders.

• Enhance facility maintenance at volunteer-owned fire stations by transferring maintenance from MCFRS to the Department of General Services. This shift allows a uniform Captain to return to the field and adds a professional maintenance team to oversee these fire stations in the Department of General Services and will be funded in part by Emergency Service Transporter Supplemental Payment Program funds. This shift ensures that volunteer-owned stations receive the same expert facilities maintenance service as County-owned fire stations.

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• A Fire Chief's General Order was issued and ordered that low-priority fire incident call types be dispatched as routine responses. This order alters the common practice of responding in "emergency" with lights and sirens, to responding with no lights and sirens to these less serious fire alarms, minor hazards, and service calls, thereby reducing the risk of injury to our personnel and the general public.
• The Emergency Medical and Integrated Healthcare Services (EMIHS) expanded the Leave-Behind Narcan program to minimize opioid overdose deaths. Pre-assembled Narcan kits were placed on every frontline apparatus, department vehicle, and are kept at every station. Along with Narcan, these kits include additional information on County resources for those suffering from addiction.
• The Safety and Logistics Sections were merged to create the MCFRS Safety & Supply Section to bring enhanced efficiency to the department.
• The Division of Support Services completed a multi-year project that placed five new Pierce Enforcer 107' tractor-drawn aerials and three rescue squads in service.
• The Technology Services Section transitioned chief officers away from a desktop environment to a combined mobile data environment, allowing for enhanced portability and functionality, as well as creating cost savings through consolidation into a single machine.
• The Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) shop completed a 2-year project to perform hydrostatic testing on all MCFRS cylinders. The shop simultaneously completed more than 8,000 work orders that included SCBA repairs, maintaining meters, docking stations, and breathing air compressors.
• In 2022, Montgomery County retained its current Public Protection Classification Review rating of two for Urban (hydranted areas) and four for rural (non-hydranted areas) Public Protection Classification Review by the Insurance Services Office (ISO). ISO analyzes data and information pertaining to fire protection efforts using their Fire Suppression Rating Schedule, which classifies jurisdictions with a rating between one and ten.

Program Descriptions

  Office of the Fire Chief

The Office of the Fire Chief (OFC) has the ultimate responsibility for the overall management, direction, planning, and coordination of all MCFRS programs and operations. The OFC manages the overall service needs and delivery requirements of MCFRS, including fire and rescue master planning and resource deployment plans; oversees community risk...

  Operations

The Operations Division is the organizational component of the MCFRS that is responsible for the day-to-day delivery of critical emergency medical services (EMS), fire suppression, hazardous materials, and technical rescue mitigation to the residents and visitors of Montgomery County.The overall responsibility for Fire and Rescue Service operations lies...

  Human Resources Division

The Division of Human Resources is a comprehensive support function of MCFRS focused on the management and maximization of potential for human capital. The Division is comprised of various sub-functions. The Administrative Services Section is responsible for personnel and labor related issues, including coordination with County...

  Volunteer Services

The Division of Volunteer Services (DVS) manages and provides support and volunteer advocacy, oversight, mediation, and enforcement of MCFRS policies, coordination and technical assistance, incentives, and administrative services to support the Local Fire and Rescue Departments (LFRD) within MCFRS. This program promotes consistent and balanced integration of the activities of...

  Support Services

The Division of Support Services provides central administrative and management service and direction for support functions across the department. Core services include the Capital Improvement Program, logistics, fleet services, facilities, technology services, and safety. The logistics function consists of Fleet Support, Fleet Maintenance, Property and Supply, Emergency Medical...

  Fiscal Management

The Division of Fiscal Management is responsible for the overall management of the MCFRS operating budget; the management and administration of State and Federal funding; management oversight of the EMS reimbursement program; accounts payable and receivable; and contract management and development. The Budget and Grants Section handles budget development;...