Deputy Chief of Planning

I am proud to introduce the Anne Arundel County Fire Department's Planning Bureau for the 2024 Annual Report. The Planning Bureau oversees the Department's Budget & Finance, Training Academy, and Health & Safety Divisions. 

The Budget & Finance team is small but always extremely busy finding new and innovative ways to fulfill the Department's mission while remaining fiscally responsible. The team welcomed our new Budget Analyst in June, Darlene Flynn and has been working to better organize and streamline our financial records and reports. It takes a lot of thoughtful planning and meticulous modeling to project and operate within a properly designed and funded budget. 

The Training Academy welcomed Recruit Class 64 at the beginning of the year and celebrated their hard work and accomplishments at their graduation in October. Each of them is now applying the firefighting and medical training they have been taught and tested to assist community members in our county. The Academy continues to be a hub of activity with ongoing fire and medical training that never stops. The classrooms and grounds are used seven days a week, not only for introductory classes but for drills and scenario training to maintain operational skills and techniques. The Command Simulator Lab has proved to be a significant asset to our incident commanders and company officers.

The Health & Safety Division continues to streamline and implement innovative ideas to address our members' operational safety and physical and mental wellness. The Division worked hard to place a new response vehicle in service that upgrades our ability to keep our members and the community safe. Among many updates, it includes roadway directional signage that interfaces with mapping/navigation apps, giving drivers specific information about road closures and rerouting options. Health & Wellness continues to replace and upgrade fitness equipment in fire stations and assist groups and individuals with workout plans and nutrition guidance.  The Peer Support team is very active in serving the needs of not only our members but our surrounding partners as well. They have stepped up throughout the year, assisting other jurisdictions after too many stressful and tragic events.

I invite you to click on each division to learn more about each area of Planning in the Anne Arundel County Fire Department.