Anne Arundel County leaders celebrate new Crownsville fire station amid push for more firefighters
Anne Arundel County leaders celebrated the official ribbon-cutting Thursday for the new Crownsville Fire Station 6, a $15 million facility officials say will expand emergency coverage and improve firefighter safety.
The 22,000-square-foot station replaces the former Herald Harbor Volunteer Fire Department and includes larger bays, updated equipment and built-in cancer reduction features for firefighters.
"All of this to support the health and wellness of those who work here. That is the most important thing," Anne Arundel County Fire Department Chief Trishia Wolford said.
New fire station in action
The new station has already been responding to calls since March. Capt. Jenny MacAllair said the more centralized Crownsville location has increased call volume by about 30%.
"This new location now covers quite a bit more territory," MacAllair said.
Need for more firefighters in Anne Arundel County
The ribbon cutting also comes as staffing remains a major issue for firefighters across Anne Arundel County.
County Executive Steuart Pittman's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget includes 21 new firefighter positions.
Fire officials say those hires will help more units meet the National Fire Protection Association standard of four firefighters on a large apparatus.
"Currently, at most of our stations we run three, and in several of our stations we do run four," MacAllair said.
But the Anne Arundel County Professional Fire Fighters union says an independent study found the department is roughly 350 positions below national safe staffing recommendations.
The union says the shortage contributes to cross staffing — a practice where the same firefighters are assigned to multiple emergency vehicles depending on the type of call — potentially limiting how many units can respond during simultaneous emergencies.
Still, the union called the additional 21 positions a "meaningful start."
"We'll continue to build those stations out that need that extra person as the budget allows and we need to do it in a fiscally responsible way," MacAllair said.
