Anne Arundel County firefighters say staffing shortages continue to put a strain on crews
Anne Arundel County firefighters say staffing shortages are continuing to strain crews across the county as population growth and emergency calls increase.
The Anne Arundel County Professional Fire Fighters union points to an independent study that found the department would need roughly 350 additional firefighters to meet national staffing recommendations.
"Exhaustion is definitely at an all-time high. Our rate of injury is really high in our department," said Casey Cameron, third vice president of IAFF Local 1563.
Understaffed in Anne Arundel County
According to the union, only four Anne Arundel County stations currently staff four firefighters on apparatus, the national standard, while most stations operate with three firefighters.
Cameron said union leaders understand the department cannot add hundreds of firefighters overnight.
"We knew that number wasn't going to be reached in one year," Cameron said. "It's going to be a gradual growth to a plan to get the 350 firefighters."
Union leaders also say the county has continued adding apparatus and expanding service areas without enough staffing to support that growth.
"We added apparatus, but we didn't add people, so we added more cross-staffing without adding people," Cameron said.
Impact of new Crownsville station
The debate comes as Anne Arundel County recently opened its new Crownsville Fire Station 6. County officials said call volume at the station has already increased about 30% since crews began responding there in March.
County fire officials have also acknowledged that most stations currently operate with three firefighters on large apparatus.
"Currently, at most of our stations, we run three, and in several of our stations, we do run four," said Capt. Jenny MacAllair with the Anne Arundel County Fire Department.
Addressing the firefighter shortages
Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget includes 21 new firefighter positions, something union leaders called a step in the right direction.
Still, firefighters say staffing shortages continue to impact operations daily.
"We run out of medic units almost every day by 5 p.m.," Cameron said.
Despite the concerns, Cameron said firefighters remain committed to responding when emergencies happen.
"No matter what, Anne Arundel County professional firefighters are going to show up and answer the emergency when it's called," Cameron said. "But our members and the community deserve better."
