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Hagerstown fire officials urge renegotiation of 2020 MOU, warn ending automatic aid would harm safety
Summary
Fire chiefs and city officials reviewed two years of response data and told the council the 2020 MOU limits Hagerstown's automatic aid but rescinding it would risk slower responses; council members pressed the county funding and tax‑differential issues and urged renegotiation and targeted reimbursements instead of unilateral withdrawal.
Deputy Chief Keith DeBaco and Chief Hopkins gave a detailed briefing on Hagerstown Fire Department operations, county contributions and limits established in the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed 01/16/2020 with the Board of County Commissioners. Staff said the Fire Department has 79 funded career positions, operates five stations and keeps a minimum on‑duty crew of 16 personnel. Presenters noted that national staffing guidance recommends four firefighters per apparatus but Hagerstown currently staffs two per unit.
Using data from 11/01/2023 to 11/01/2025, staff…
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