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Firefighters and union warn of staffing crisis, mandatory overtime at Prince George's Fire/EMS
Summary
Firefighters and the county's professional firefighters association testified that staffing shortages and mandatory overtime are creating a long-term crisis, urging the council to address hiring, retention and pay in the FY26 budget.
Firefighters and the county's union testified May 6 that chronic understaffing, widespread mandatory overtime and low regional pay have created a staffing crisis at Prince George's County Fire/EMS that threatens response times and service levels.
The Most Newsworthy: Jamie Tolson, a firefighter/EMT and member of Local 1619, told the council the department is short about 94 sworn firefighters and faces potential further attrition through retirements; Tolson described mandatory callback rules that prohibit commonly accepted reasons to decline overtime such as classes, sick notes or pre-scheduled engagements. Grant Walker, president of the Prince George's County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association, laid out vacancy-rate statistics and hiring numbers and said the department's staffing plan projects reaching authorized strength only by 2029.
Why it matters: Witnesses said mandatory overtime has forced firefighters to miss family events and schooling, reduce training opportunities and erode morale. Union leaders said the current approach uses overtime as a short-term cost control that deepens long-term staffing problems, and they urged the council to prioritize hiring, retention and improved compensation to avoid degraded emergency response.
Testimony highlights: Tolson said firefighters are called back frequently for large events and sports venues and described a department memo that he said forbids previously accepted reasons for declining callbacks. "How are we supposed to plan accordingly? Am I not able to plan a vacation, take time for my family, to attend educational classes or seminars to better serve the county?" Tolson asked. Grant Walker provided numbers: he said vacancy rates rose from 1% in 2022 to 7% last year and to 13% in the current budget documents; he recounted recent cadet hiring numbers and said the staffing plan projects meeting authorized strength in 2029, a timeline the union called unacceptable.
Council context: No formal action was taken at the hearing. Testimony sought immediate budget attention to hiring, compensation and recruitment to reduce reliance on overtime.
