Fire and Rescue seeks new BLS unit, faces debate over Hyattstown staffing reduction

The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service presented the committee with an FY26 operating recommendation of about $311 million, a 6.2% increase from FY25 that includes $1.2 million in program and staffing enhancements and $23 million for compensation and required operating expenses.

"I'm Corey Smelly, the fire chief from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue," the chief told the committee as the department outlined budget drivers including contract cost escalations, PPE replacement, and fleet and medical-transport costs. Staff described a proposal to add one Basic Life Support transport unit and fund 10 new recruits — funded in part by ESPP (Emergency Service Transport Supplemental Payment) funds — to station a BLS unit at Bethesda Station 26 and provide six months of funding for staffing that unit.

Staff also described a recommended potential reduction that would remove three career staff and one firefighter-paramedic staffed on overtime from Hyattstown Station 709 for projected savings of about $956,013. Chief of Hyattstown testified that such a cut could add about six minutes to response times if units had to respond from neighboring jurisdictions, risk higher ISO rates for property owners where hydrants are lacking, and reduce local technical rescue capacity. Committee members debated placing the Hyattstown reduction and a separate transport-unit funding request on the reconciliation list for fuller council review. The committee ultimately agreed to add the transport-unit request to reconciliation and to continue operational discussions with MCFRS and partner organizations; some members expressed concern about removing Hyattstown funding without thorough operational analysis.