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Annapolis Fire Department: steady EMS demand, delayed apparatus deliveries and a new strategic plan
Summary
Fire Chief O'Malley told the Public Safety Standing Committee that EMS calls make up roughly three-quarters of the department's workload, Ward 8 was among the less busy wards in 2024, and the city faces long lead times and rising costs on new fire engines and medic units.
Annapolis Fire Department leadership told the Public Safety Standing Committee March 2025 that EMS calls continue to dominate department workload, that Ward 8 was the third-least-busy ward by call volume in 2024, and that equipment lead times and rising costs are a pressing operational issue.
Chief O’Malley said the department responded to over 13,000 calls citywide in 2024 and that approximately 75 percent of those were EMS-related. “The majority of what we do in Annapolis Fire Department is EMS related,” the chief said. He reported 863 calls in Ward 8 during 2024 and said the ward was the third-least-busy in the city by call count.
The chief also described procurement and production delays for major apparatus. He showed a production photo of a replacement engine ordered after City Council funding in July 2022 and said the engine’s price has increased: the vehicle cost $720,000 when ordered and an identical engine ordered today would cost about $1,000,000 and take two to three years to deliver. The department also has two medic units on order that remain in queue; the chief said similar multi-year lead times are affecting EMS units as well.
Chief O’Malley outlined a new strategic planning effort. The department has engaged the Center for Public Safety Excellence modeling tools and plans broad community outreach and a department-wide strategic plan targeted for completion by September 2025. He said the plan will examine staffing, apparatus needs, and future risks posed by taller building stock and changing city development.
Committee members asked about mutual-aid capacity for large or wind-driven fires, event planning for Eastport (Blue Angels, festivals) and the federal SAFER staffing grants. Chief O’Malley said the department’s mutual-aid arrangements with Anne Arundel County and the U.S. Naval Academy remain available and that special-event preplanning — including bicycle medics and a small off-road vehicle for congested events — helps the department respond when streets are tightly packed. On grants, the chief said the department received previous SAFER support to add staffing (with the city assuming the cost at grant end), applied for additional SAFER funding for a peak-time medic unit but did not receive it, and is monitoring the federal grant environment for impacts.
Committee members praised the department’s public-facing outreach — including social-media employee spotlights — and asked about volunteer recruitment and training. Chief O’Malley said the department continues recruiting and works with volunteers where feasible; he also listed recent hires and promotions and noted that most of the department’s operating budget is for staffing and benefits rather than grant-funded line items.
No formal policy votes were taken during the fire department presentation; members asked for continued updates on apparatus delivery timing, strategic-plan milestones and the status of federal grants.
