A-Shift

A-Shift is one of four tours of duty under the Operations Bureau that works a 24/72 schedule and staffs 31 fire stations across Anne Arundel County. Each shift starts their tour of duty at 7:00 am and ends at 7:00 am the following day.  A-Shift is under the Command of Division Chief Chuck Jester, Battalion Chief Mike Smith, Battalion Chief Jake Callard, Battalion Chief Shawn Jones and Battalion Chief Rich Garber. They lead 9 Captains, 36 Lieutenants, 43 Chauffeurs, 42 Paramedic/Firefighters, 85 E.M.T./Firefighters, and 8 Fire Communications Operators on any given day. Those members staff our Ambulances, Paramedic Units, Fire Engines, Rescue Squads, Fire Trucks, Towers, Tankers, and Fire Dispatch Center.  This team works cohesively to provide EMS, Fire, Rescue, Special Operations, and Marine response to emergency incidents while on duty.

A-Shift prides itself on “OPERATIONAL READINESS,” with the daily priority of training every tour of duty regardless of incident volume, weather, routine responsibilities, apparatus maintenance, building inspections, and other scheduled activities. Training is the foundation of the fire service, and mastery of skill sets is needed to provide emergency response and mitigation to our community.

Throughout 2024, A-Shift was extremely busy with a steady call volume but saw many fire incidents. At the beginning of 2024, A-Shift had several fires that our firefighters encountered with trapped occupants on arrival and successfully rescued them from those occupied dwellings.  

2024 was a year of several promotions and reassignments of our personnel. This entails countless hours of OJT, "On the Job Training," and mentoring to ensure they are performing in their new roles and responsibilities. We welcomed them to our Shift and wished them good luck in their new positions!