BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — Currently, only Baltimore County employees could get cash bonuses through the American Rescue Plan, and now, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski is trying to make it up to his volunteer firefighters.
“Today, we are excited to announce that we in Baltimore County are directing $1 million of ARP funding to support our local fire companies,” Olzewski told a gathering of firefighters to applause Tuesday at the North Point-Edgemere Volunteer Fire Department.
The pandemic took an extraordinary toll on the volunteers who suddenly had to shift funds for protective equipment, while losing the fundraisers, festivals and hall rentals that helped them afford to operate.
“The fundraising was hit really hard these past couple of years for them,” said Baltimore County Fire Chief Joanne Rund. “and we’ve been striving to work very diligently with them to make sure they have the tools that they can to provide the service to the citizens.”
No, the volunteer firefighters still won’t get a bonus like their career counterparts, but they will be able to purchase essential equipment that they could not afford otherwise.
“That means a lot for these companies,” said Glenn Resnick, a past president of the Baltimore County Volunteer Firefighter’s Association. “These companies are going to use this money for lifesaving equipment. The LUCAS device, for example, which does mechanical CPR. That’s a $15,000 item that these companies will now be able to purchase with this money.”
The breakdown on the million dollars in grant money is about $30,000 to $40,000 for each of the county’s 29 fire companies.
Far too little to replace something like a fire engine, which costs about $700,000, but firefighters say the county executive is also working on adding well over a million dollars to a loan fund, which would allow them to purchase a limited amount of larger equipment as well.
“We want to continue to support them, not just through this ARPA grant, but also as we look towards our capital budget and other support,” said Olzewski. “The losses are real and the service is critical.”
