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 2023 include:

·      Sim Lab – The Fire Training Simulation Lab (Sim Lab) hosted 20 sessions which included 74 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 38 new drivers

·      Certifications – Over 680 Proboard certifications were processed

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 2023, 24 new students entered the program and 36 students graduated.

·      CPR/Stop the Bleed - 320 classes were held reaching over 2400 students. These courses consisted of Stop the Bleed, hands-only CPR, and BLS Healthcare courses.

·      RSI Program - The county RSI Program consists of 63 clinicians. Over 1,000 hours of continuing education consisting of peer review, simulations, skills testing, case review, and advanced airway labs took place in 2023.

Recruit Training

Recruit Class #63 graduated on November 27, 2023, sending 61 probationary firefighters to the field. Each recruit firefighter received approximately 603 hours of training and met the standard for 11 Maryland Fire Service Personnel Qualifications Board (MFSPQB) certifications.