Council committee approves $1.995M state Amos grant distribution for volunteer fire stations and equipment

Montgomery County's public safety work session on July 21 included a committee recommendation to approve Supplemental Appropriation 2576, which allocates a State 508 award from the Senator Amos Fire, Rescue and Ambulance Fund to local volunteer fire and rescue departments for station renovations and equipment.

The supplemental appropriation matters for local emergency services because it directs nearly $2 million in state grant funds to renovation and apparatus acquisition priorities identified by volunteer departments and vetted through a county review process.

Council staff said the county executive transmitted the supplemental appropriation June 11; the council introduced it June 24 and held a public hearing July 15 with no public speakers. The award amount in the packet matches the state grant: $1,995,000. Montgomery County staff and the volunteer fire association said the appropriation will not affect the county's general fund undesignated reserves.

Eric Bernard, executive director of the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association (MCVFRA), described the longstanding application process used for AMOS/EMST/ESPP funds. Departments submit applications during a roughly 30‑day window; a volunteer association funding committee reviews submissions and makes recommendations to the MCVFRA board. Departments may file appeals within 30 days of recommendations. The fire chief then convenes subject matter experts to review technical specifications for apparatus and equipment; when MCFRS and MCVFRA reach consensus, the recommendations proceed to council for appropriation.

Council staff noted the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice supplied an equity and impact assessment (transmitted July 9) that said the supplemental request did not document a process for considering racial or other disproportionalities in how apparatus, capital equipment, or facility renovations are distributed. Staff recommended approval as submitted by the executive but offered to brief the committee on the application and approval process, which committee members requested and received.

Dominic Delpozo, fiscal management division chief in fire and rescue, and other staff said the FY25 requests from local fire departments totaled about $4.5 million; the state award and approved distributions comport with the $1,995,000 state grant. Bernard and MCFRS leaders described a multi‑stage review that includes a retired county financial staffer who reviews documentation and coordinates follow‑up with departments before committee consideration.

After the overview, a committee member moved to approve the supplemental appropriation and another member seconded the motion. The committee approved the item by unanimous voice vote; members recorded no speakers at the public hearing and no opposition on the record.

The funds are expected to be used for renovation of volunteer fire stations and purchase of apparatus and equipment as listed in the departments' applications. Staff flagged that adding additional datasets or reporting requirements (for example, to track how HHS‑partnered responses intersect with emergency medical calls) would require legislative changes and additional resources.

The committee concluded by voting to recommend approval to the full council; staff and association leaders said they will proceed to implement the approved allocations and handle any appeals per the established process.