Dan Genz, The Examiner
2008-05-13 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

Prince William County fire department officials are hustling to fill the 48 spots county supervisors added to the ranks of firefighters and emergency technicians before training academy classes begin in July.

Training leaders recently toured the Montgomery County training facility for tips on how to teach 50 students at once, nearly double the recent size of classes.

“It’s a struggle to find qualified applicants for that many positions,” Fire and Rescue Department spokesman Randy Earl said, adding the county will be ready to handle the influx.

“There will be no delay towards implementing the staffing plan,” Chief Kevin McGee said, citing preparations that have been in the works for months. He said the department already is attracting more recruits.

“Everything would be the same, the lessons, the training, the structure, the materials they cover, except for the size of the class,” Earl said.

A department investigation in January partly blamed understaffing and inadequate personnel responding to house fire calls in April 2007 for the first death of a county firefighter.

As a start to meeting guidelines for a 31-person response to home fires, up from the previous 17-person standard, the department has established a plan to add about 200 firefighters over the next five years.

In addition to recruits, the department will need to temporarily transfer some senior employees to work as extra trainers in the summer.

The new employees will fill a new fire station and supply more staff across the department, including a new fire investigator and a new director who will oversee the implementation of the more than 250 recommendations of the line of duty death investigation.

“We are confident we will be able to execute the program,” Earl said.

Firefighters turned out in huge numbers throughout the county’s budget debates to urge supervisors to fully fund the new positions. Although supervisors cut six proposed positions, the staff will still grow to more than 500 for the first time.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com