Prince Georges County F.D.

[Truck150]

Well I have gotten through all of the tests and interviews and I just got a call from the chiefs aid telling that my paper work went to personel. So I'll know im mid October if I get the job. just wanted to know if anyone out there works for tem of if anyone has anything to say about it. How good of a place is it to work etc...

[CW7704]

Dude, run while you still have the chance!

First, we have no such thing as a "Chiefs Aide" here. And if we did, he wouldn't be handling applicants. All applications go through the office of personnel and a company called "Applicant Investigations Group" which is a joke in itself.

Next, the job title. "Emergency Response Technician." Fancy terminology for a Firefighter/Paramedic. With concentration on Paramedic. Because once you obtain your Paramedic Cert, you might as well kiss that "Firefighter" part goodbye!

Third, the Department. Is a Combination department consisting of about 500 career and about 600 active volunteers. There are 47 stations consisting of 45 Engine Companies, 21 Truck Companies, 12 Rescue Companies, 12 ALS Ambulances and 42 BLS Ambulances (Give or take some because some stations have 2 or 3 units) Most Fire Stations are owned by the Volunteer Departments along with most of the Supression Apparatus. Most of the EMS units are owned by the county.
There is one county fire chief that oversees both sides.

The career side works one of 3 Schedules. Daywork 7am-3pm Monday through Friday, Daywork "4-10's" which is 4 10 hour days during the week with a day off in the week. Or shift work, which is 24 on-72 off. The career and volunteer sides get along OK operationally.

[hwoods]

If you want to be BUSY, then this is the place. If you want a decent salary, benefits, retirement, then this is the place. If you have no interest in EMS, then this is NOT the place. As a retired Prince Georges County firefighter and now a very active volunteer (Chief) there, I am damn proud of our department, I think it's a great place to be employed or to volunteer with. But make no mistake here, this a very EMS heavy operation. Last year,(2001) the county logged 274,440 responses. 144,282 of those were ambulance/medic responses. With a population of over 800,000 and 60 ambulances/medic units, this is about 12,500 people per unit. Add that we have some very low income areas where the nice guys (and gals) at the firehouse are the only medical help that some people trust, and you can see what happens. Best of luck to you. Stay Safe.... CW - the numbers are from Frits input - I chair the Vol. Assn Statistical committee.

[SquadHog]

During the 70‘s and 80‘s PGFD was a prestigious department to work for and considered one of, if not the premiere combination department in the country.

Most of the population of 800,000 is clustered inside the Beltway around Washington D.C. Much of that area is economically depressed, i.e. a slum. Some companies inside the beltway are doing over 7,000 runs/year. A lot of the runs are EMS but there is also a fair amount of fire duty by today’s standards. The department recently changed names to P.G. "Fire/EMS Department", copying their neighbors in D.C.

Salary and benefits are comparable to other departments in the area but they have had trouble attracting and keeping quality people in recent years since the “Emergency Response Technician” program went in.

The problem might be that, depending on what you want in a career, as an "ERT" you may not be "allowed" to be a firefighter...you may spend years riding a Medic Unit and never see the inside of a fire truck. On the other hand, they give you four or five years to become a paramedic...plenty of time to use the job as a stepping stone and move on.

[CW7704]

Squad hog, don't forget to include that you have to spend your OWN money and TIME to obtain this paramedic certification, or license as it is called now.

Chief, thats alot of Freakin'Ambulance calls!...lol. I know you are the Chair for the Stats committee and you have been for quite some time! You do a good job as well. Never knew you were one of "them" before. Interesting how many guys retire and come back home.