Training & Research

The Training and Research Division provides training opportunities for all career and volunteer emergency responders. This includes the initial training of all career fire recruits, continuing education for incumbent firefighters, paramedic initial education, as well as Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) continuing education. Initial training for volunteer firefighters is coordinated by the Training Division through the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute.

Fire Training

The fire training section provides a variety of programs and training opportunities. A few of those include the Fire Department Sim Lab which provides command simulation scenarios for our career and volunteer chief officers. The section facilitates Pump Operator Candidate School, a program designed for those who want to become fire apparatus drivers/operators. The fire training section also helps firefighters become MFSPQB/Pro-Board certified. Some highlights for 2024 include:

• Sim Lab – The Fire Training Simulation Lab (Sim Lab) hosted 17 sessions which included 57 individual sims. This training is provided to both career and volunteer chief officers. In addition to the in-person sim lab, quarterly virtual sims recorded 343 completions reaching hundreds of personnel.

• Pump Operator Candidate School (POCS) – graduated 10 new drivers.

• Certifications – Reviewed and approved 249 applications for certifications.

• Youth F.I.R.E. Camp - Held two sessions with 28 total participants.

EMS Training

The EMS training section provides continuing education, initial certification, and recertification for over 1,000 BLS and 369 ALS clinicians.

• Paramedic School

  • Initial paramedic education is coordinated with Anne Arundel Community College. In 2024 we had 14 students start the program with 21 students graduating and completing the program.

• CPR/Stop the Bleed

  • 48 Friends & Family classes instructing 529 students.

  • 34 CPR Anytime events with 1419 students.

  • 62 Heartsaver classes teaching 412.

  • 36 Stop the bleed classes coaching 786 students.

  • 63 BLS Initial Certification classes, certifying 242 new providers. 

  • 123 BLS Recertification classes, recertifying 1,107 providers.

  • 5 BLS Instructor classes with 34 new instructors.

• ALS / BLS Provider Recert

  • 210 ALS providers were recertified with 8,820 total training hours.

  • 1,180 BLS providers were recertified, with 4,720 total training hours. 

• RSI Training

  • The county RSI Program consists of 74 clinicians. Over 1,000 hours of continuing education consisting of peer review, simulations, skills testing, case review, and advanced airway labs took place in 2024. In 2024 we recertified 69 clinicians and had 5 new clinicians complete their training and initial certification process. 

Recruit Training

Recruit Class #64 graduated on September 18, 2024, sending 59 probationary firefighters to the field. Fifty-one were AAFD graduates, 4 Annapolis Fire Department graduates, and 4 BWI Airport graduates. Each recruit firefighter received approximately 603 hours of training and met the standard for 11 Maryland Fire Service Personnel Qualifications Board (MFSPQB) certifications. We also certified seven new MICRB instructors.