[Scan-DC] Kentland VFD

[JOHN ANTONELLI]

Looks like PGFD is trying to screw Kentland again.  I
note they are 100% volnteer and own and operate their
own rigs as a service to the citizens.  Why PGFD can
tell them what apparatus they will won and operate is
beyond me.  Needless to say this is in court.

Big thread on the watch desk.     
--- Alan Henney <alan at henney.com> wrote:

> PGFD PRESS RELEASE
> 
> For Release: Monday, August 20, 2007
> 
> Contact: Mark E. Brady, Public Information Officer,
> 240-508-7930
> 
> www.pgfireems.com
> 
> Fire Chief Compelled To Address
> Non-Compliant Volunteer Fire Department
> 
> Prince George ’s County Fire Chief Lawrence H.
> Sedgwick, Jr. has been
> compelled to address the issue of the Kentland
> Volunteer Fire
> Department, Station 33, and their failure to comply
> with direct
> orders.  In February, 2007, Fire Chief Sedgwick
> ordered the Kentland
> Fire Station 33 to place a County owned and
> supplied, basic life
> support (BLS), transport unit (ambulance) into
> service, to be housed
> and staffed by the existing volunteer membership who
> currently respond
> to EMS calls on pieces of fire apparatus.  Since
> that time, the
> volunteer chief was removed from emergency
> operations for failure to
> obey direct orders and other disciplinary actions
> not germane to this
> issue.  The current volunteer chief has offered
> several alternate
> plans at the direction of his membership, however,
> none have met the
> initial orders of the Fire Chief.
> 
> On Monday, August 20, 2007, The Fire/EMS Department
> advised the
> Kentland volunteer leadership that eight career
> Firefighters/Paramedics would be made available to
> staff the ambulance
> 24 hours a day – 7 days a week. The County owned and
> staffed ambulance
> would be housed and respond out of Kentland Station
> 33.  Kentland
> volunteer leadership did not accept this proposal. 
> While this plan is
> being considered by the Kentland membership,
> appropriate action has
> been directed to be taken.  As a result of failing
> to meet the current
> deadline, Fire Chief Sedgwick has directed the
> Deputy Fire Chief of
> Emergency Operations, Lieutenant Colonel Robert
> McCoy, to implement
> the following actions for Kentland’s non-compliance.
> 
> The current volunteer chief shall be immediately
> removed from
> emergency operations.
> 
> The Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department
> will now confer
> with the next volunteer chief in the
> chain-of-command.
> 
> The Fire/EMS Department will reduce the amount of
> mutual aid responses
> of the Kentland Fire Department to ensure personnel
> are available to
> respond to the more than 5100 Basic Life Support
> (BLS) ambulance calls
> within their first due response area.  The Fire/EMS
> Department will
> evaluate Kentland’s ability to maintain adequate
> response to all calls
> in their first due prior to any adjustments. 
> Continuity of service to
> the citizens shall not be reduced as the same amount
> of Fire/EMS units
> will be dispatched in accordance with standard
> procedures.
> 
> The volunteer leadership at Kentland Station 33 will
> be granted a
> limited amount of time to comply with orders to
> place the ambulance
> into service or face additional sanctions.
> 
> # # #
> 
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