Baltimore City council committee hears fire and EMS update on apparatus, trainings, hospital offload and overdose response

Baltimore City’s Public Safety Committee held its quarterly oversight hearing on LO25‑0006 with the Baltimore City Fire Department and EMS, receiving updates on apparatus deliveries, training innovations, inspection programs, EMS dispatch and pilot clinical programs.

Chief James Wallace told the committee the department took delivery in FY25 of six engines, two ladder trucks and 34 medic units and expects in FY26–27 an additional nine engines, four ladder trucks, two elevated platforms, six medic units and a single “pod” unit. Wallace cautioned that vendor lead times and parts shortages are extending the department’s 20‑year replacement cycle.

Wallace described the pod as a sea container outfitted with technical‑rescue gear that can be dropped on scene to reduce street congestion. He also previewed a locally built training project called “Connex City,” a configuration of containers designed to replicate row‑house firefighting scenarios (ventilation, roll‑up doors, multi‑floor rescues) to train recruits and incumbent staff.

On prevention, Wallace reported year‑over‑year growth in home inspections and smoke‑alarm work: FY24 saw roughly 57,000 home…