Mission Statement

The mission of the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service (MCFRS) is to create and enhance public safety through measures to reduce vulnerability and improve resilience.

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 approved FY26 Operating Budget for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service is $310,083,473, an increase of $17,647,082 or 6.03 percent from the FY25 Approved Budget of $292,436,391. Personnel Costs comprise 84.04 percent of the budget for 1,383 full-time position(s) and one part-time position(s), and a total of 1,385.01 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 15.96 percent of the FY26 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 FY25 estimates reflect funding based on the FY25 approved budget. The FY26 and FY27 figures are performance targets based on the FY26 approved budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY27.

Initiatives

• Replace uniformed staff with two civilian educators to expand MCFRS recruitment efforts at the Public Safety Training Academy (PSTA), overseeing the High School Cadet training program. This program, which attracts a diverse pool of participants, is undergoing enhancements to serve as a direct hiring pathway for recruit candidates.

• Identify and implement service adjustments that will improve the delivery of services in accordance with the MCFRS Master Plan, particularly as it relates to Emergency Medical Services (EMS), including an increase to transport capacity by adding one Basic Life Support (BLS) Unit.
• Identify process and service improvements to expand efforts to improve community resilience through education and preparation, in accordance with the MCFRS Master Plan.

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• Opened new Clarksburg Fire Station 35, replacing a temporary leased facility with a new state of the art County owned station.

• Supported local fire rescue departments (LFRD) by adjusting staffing at both Glen Echo Fire Station 11 and Burtonsville Fire Station 15.

• Added two personnel to the Community Risk Reduction team to focus efforts on increasing the resilience of the children and seniors in Montgomery County.

• Funded a Community Action Coordinator (lieutenant) position to focus on improving resilience to three primary issues that cause death: cardiac arrest, overdoses, and penetrating traumas. In March 2024, the community action coordinator led a coordinated effort and team of people to deliver a hands-only CPR "blitz", which trained people on the application of hands-only CPR.

• Emergency Medicine and Integrated Healthcare Services (EMIHS), implemented a Whole Blood initiative aimed at enhancing emergency medical care for our community's most critically ill patients - those experiencing major blood loss with evidence of significant physiological compromise. This program can significantly improve outcomes for those suffering from severe hemorrhage.

• Incorporated the use of floor-below nozzles as a tactical option for high-rise firefighting operations and purchased smoke curtains for deployment on fires, which will give the department an advantage in preventing smoke spread in large buildings.

• Expanded employee health and wellness initiatives by adding two contract positions at Fire and Rescue Occupational Medical Services (FROMS) and establishing a clinic for uniformed employees to address physical injuries with an athletic trainer. Increased funding, in coordination with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) for advanced cancer screening opportunities. Enhanced mental wellness services by hiring a part-time therapist, a full-time administrative aide, and relocating the program to a new office suite.

• Under the alternative destination program, MCFRS can now transport EMS patients who have low acuity behavioral health complaints or acute toxication to the stabilization room at the Crisis Center, reducing the stress on the strained emergency departments.

• Convened a group to review all aspects of the Incident Response Policy (IRP) and make necessary adjustments.

• Revolutionized the annual Kelly day pick process, a process by which staff select a pay day off, through automation of the process.

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 includes the Internal Affairs Section, the Community Risk Reduction Section, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program, the Planning Section, and the Public Information...

  Operations

The Division of Operations 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 division is organized into four primary sections: Field Operations: the nearly 1,200 career employees who...

  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 includes Administrative Services, the Health and Wellness Section, and the Training Section. Administrative Services is responsible for personnel and labor related...

  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 centralized administrative and management service and direction for support functions across the department. Core services include CIP and facility management, fleet services, technology services, and safety and supply.The CIP and Facilities Section is responsible for ensuring fire and rescue facilities are properly built...

  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;...