GREATER LANDOVER, Md. — WUSA 9 has obtained data that shows many of our neighbors concerns are coming true.
WUSA 9 has been reporting about a plan to shift firefighters around in Prince George's County to address staff shortages. Neighbors say moving those first responders means, it's taking longer for them to answer calls for help.
These numbers relating to response times is giving a better idea of the challenge the Prince George's County fire chief told WUSA9 about.
Now people who live in these effected communities are speaking out again.
"The loss of our local career fire personnel at Station 835 leaves our seniors feeling less secure and it undermines the piece of mind we should all be able to rely on," community director of a Greenbelt senior-living community Kimberly Potts said.
WUSA9 has heard from several people across Prince George's County about their concerns with the current plan to move firefighters to other stations in the county.
"Our two stations in College Park are now facing increased pressure taking on additional calls neighboring stations previously handled, it has caused longer response times and demised service level,” College Park Mayor Fazlul Kabir said.
WUS 9 received a copy of response times for these four stations between June 30 and Nov. 9.
On average — this is how long it took crews to respond:
In Berwyn Heights (Station 814) average response time is 6 minutes and 4 seconds, Greenbelt (Station 835) averages 6 minutes and 3 seconds, Bowie - Bel Air's (Station 839) average is just under 8 minutes and 30 seconds and Bunker Hill (Station 855) averaged a 6 minutes and 37 second response time.
"The NPA standard says the first unit should be there in four minutes not 8,” Prince George’s County Professional Firefighters President Grant Walker said. “Prince George's County meets this standard 30% of the time."
"We understand that seconds matter and we're trying to put as many firefighters and paramedics as we can in the correct places so that we reduced those response times,” Prince George’s County Fire Chief Tiffany Green said. “What I would also say is that we are covering this entire county, we do an outstanding job of doing that."
These numbers reflect the responses after the county reallocated 55 firefighters from stations --- and now that plan will continue with Berwyn Heights, Greenbelt, Bowie, Bel Air and Bunker Hill stations this past summer.
"I realize this is not what people want to here but it is the reality,” Green said. “We have two choices. We can hold our firefighters and paramedics and risk burnout, mistakes or injuries and vacation from their families and times they need with their loved ones or we can redeploy our resources smartly throughout the county."
WUSA 9 asked Chief Green is there an end in sight for when these firefighters can return to their original stations, she says she can only hope. Green says they are hiring firefighters every day and using an aggressive recruitment campaign.