Greenbelt city leaders have expressed concerns over response times for fire services and EMS in Prince George’s County, Maryland, months after a plan was put in place to address staffing shortages. The city mayor and council members sent a letter to the PGFD Fire Chief, pointing out specific incidents where response times were delayed, potentially leading to tragic outcomes.
One incident involved a medical emergency where a man experiencing anaphylactic shock passed away due to a response time that exceeded the standard. Another incident highlighted a 3-year-old child being struck by a vehicle, with response times exceeding 13 minutes for this critical emergency. A fire alarm at a senior housing complex also resulted in a delayed response time of 23 minutes.
Mayor Jordan mentioned that a plan implemented over the summer led to a shortage of about 30 firefighters in Greenbelt and Berwyn Heights. The city is requesting access to data and the return of firefighters to restore the level of service they had previously.
The Prince George’s County Fire Department responded, stating that they have maintained an average response time of less than eight minutes in the area since June 30, 2024. They provided detailed response times for each incident highlighted in the city’s letter and disclosed that an investigation has been launched into the delayed response at Green Ridge House.
The department emphasized that, apart from the incident at Green Ridge House, they have met response time goals for over 971 emergency incidents since the start of the Summer Staffing Plan. The two firefighters involved in the Green Ridge House incident have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
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