SOMERSET COUNTY, MD - Members of the Somerset County Firefighters Association are asking County Commissioners to double its annual allotment to accommodate increasing operating expenses.
Volunteer firefighters and association representatives detailed the challenges departments are facing during a recent meeting of the Somerset County Commissioners. The group discussed assistance from the county, a property tax incentive for volunteers and increased annual funding.
Association Secretary Erik Emely said they are requesting double the approximately $300,000 annual allotment, which has historically been divided among the county's departments.
"If you look in our house, every truck and engine in here is plus 20 years old," Emely said of the Crisfield Fire Department. "We're looking now to have to replace one real soon."
Engines cost around $1 million each. Crisfield is also in need of a new air machine to fill bottles with air for firefighters to breathe on calls, which would cost $33,000. Another big expense is the $2,3000 price tag to outfit each new volunteer.
Somerset County Firefighters Association President Ronnie Hinman said the initial meeting was constructive and felt like a home run.
"They need to try to up our funding, you know, immediately or as soon as they can," Hinman said. "We're struggling on personnel, people."
Firefighters Association Representatives suggested implementing a property tax incentive similar to one recently put in place in Wicomico County.
"Volunteerism is really down across the country ... I mean, it's not just our little town or in this county," Emely said. "We thought that giving them a benefit, you know, would help us gain some and keep them."
County officials said they would like to hold monthly meetings with the Firefighters Association members, held at 6 p.m. instead of the regularly scheduled 2 p.m. commission meetings, to accommodate the volunteers' schedules.