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Montgomery County officials hear plea to boost funding, restore ambulance service for volunteer fire departments
Summary
Leaders of Montgomery County's eight volunteer fire departments told commissioners their units have improved fire ratings but face rising costs, fewer volunteers and gaps in ambulance transport; commissioners said they will consider additional support during upcoming budget hearings.
Montgomery County commissioners heard an extended briefing from the Montgomery County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments on the status of the county's volunteer emergency-response system and requests for increased funding and equipment support.
The association's president, Tim Bowden, told the commission the county now has five class-4 departments and three class-5 departments after a recent Insurance Services Office evaluation and called that "an improvement." He said the departments answered 3,221 calls in 2024, of which 543 were fire calls and 2,678 were medical or EMS calls.
The distinction matters for grading: "Our ISO grading is only done on the fire calls. They do not grade on medical or EMS runs," Bowden said. He and other volunteers warned that the departments have lost…
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