Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department
The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department (PGFD) is a combination career/volunteer county-level agency that provides "..fire prevention, fire protection, emergency medical services, rescue services and community outreach programs" for residents of Prince George's County, Maryland. The department is composed of volunteers from 33 fire companies throughout the county, that are represented by the Prince George's County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association, as well as career firefighters affiliated with the Prince George's County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association, IAFF Local 1619. According to the Firehouse Magazine 2010 Combination  Fire Department Run Survey, the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department covers a response area of approximately 580 miles, protects approximately 900,000 people, and has an annual operating budget of $132 million. Prince Georges County Fire/EMS Department responded to 148,506 calls in 2016 according to the 2016 National Run Survey. 29,702 of those calls were fire related and 118,804 that were EMS calls, making Prince Georges County Fire/EMS Department the busiest combination fire department in the United States to submit statistics. History. In 1742, the town of Bladensburg became the first governmental entity to pass a  fire prevention ordinance. The simple ordinance stipulated that all residential and commercial buildings had to be equipped with a smoke chimney. In 1886, the town of Hyattsville organized the first volunteer fire company in the county. With a donated budget of $27, the fire company bought a two-wheeled hand truck equipped with a barrel, pump, and hose. Two years later, in 1888, the town of Upper Marlboro organized the Marlboro Fire Association following two major town fires. John C. Wyvill had the first fire station built at a cost of $342. It wasn't until the 1930s  that the County organized its fire services at is known today. The University of Maryland created a Fire Service Extension to train firefighters and is widely regarded as a focal point for fire training for departments located east of the Mississippi River. In 1966 the county incorporated paid firefighters within its volunteer force based on the Yarger Study which stated: The Department of Fire Protection was created on June 14, 1968 which consumed all other previous fire organizations under a single command. In May 2009, the PGFD received local media attention following a massive natural gas explosion at a Forestville  stripmall. PGFD Captain Robert Rouse (Engine 823) was one of 8 firefighters and 1 gas worker injured during the event. Organization. The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department is composed of 4 distinct commands, Emergency Operations, Administrative Services, Support Services, and Volunteer Services. Each of the commands are headed by a Deputy Fire Chief (formerly known as Lieutenant Colonel) who reports directly to the Fire Chief. Operations. The Emergency Operations Command (EOC) is the largest and most visible resource to the public. The EOC includes daily operations and of all emergency services, both Fire and EMS. The EOC incorporates  both sworn career and volunteer Firefighter/EMT's. The EOC is further split into Northern and Southern Divisions. The dividing line between North and South within the fire department is Pennsylvania Avenue or Maryland Route 4. Within each division there are a set of battalions. Battalions 1, 2, 4, and 6 are located in the Northern Division and Battalions 3,5,and 7 are located within the Southern Division. "The PGFD's busiest service areas are located within Battalions 1, 3, and 5 which includes the area commonly bordered by the District line to the west, Central Avenue to the north, the  Capital Beltway to the east, and Allentown Road to the South. These areas represent better than 60% of the PGFD's total calls for service, as they contain the highest population densities."