Kentland Volunteer Fire Department Inc.
STATION NO. 33 STATION NO. 46
7701 LANDOVER ROAD 10400 CAMPUS WAY SOUTH
LANDOVER, MARYLAND 20785 UPPER MARLBORO, MARYLAND 20870
May 17, 2007
To: Lawrence H. Sedgwick, Jr.
Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Chief
Thru: Sheila A. Mann
President, Kentland Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
Thru: Cary J. Hansel
Attorney at Law
Thru: Jason Levine
Attorney at Law
From: Anthony P. Kelleher
Acting Fire Chief, Kentland Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
Re: Implementation plan for Ambulance 339
On May 14th, 2007 you directed me as the Chief Operational Officer of the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department of Kentland, Maryland, Incorporated to provide your office with “a plan to place Ambulance 339 in service at the Kentland Station on Landover Road”. The deadline was set as May 21st, 2007 by 0700 hours. This letter shall serve as that documented plan. This implementation plan shall prove to be very beneficial to the community that the Kentland VFD serves and assist you with fulfilling your “mission” as the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Chief.
As a matter of opinion, you and your command staff have stated that the issue of placing an additional service (Fire or EMS) at Kentland VFD Station 33 is an OPERATIONAL issue. It is in fact an ADMINISTRATIVE issue that may only be approved by the corporation acting under its Bylaws. Only after placing the unit in service does the manner in which the unit is operated become operational.
The Kentland Volunteer Fire Station is situated entirely on land owned by a private corporation called The Kentland Volunteer Fire Department of Kentland, Maryland, Inc. The corporation is governed by corporate Bylaws. The Bylaws provide that “the business and property of the Fire Department…shall be conducted and managed by its Board of Directors.” Obviously, the authority to allow an ambulance on corporate property is a decision for the Board of Directors, and not myself, or
Lawrence H. Sedgwick, Jr., PGFD Chief
May 17th, 2007
Page 3
anyone else holding my position, acting alone. Simply put, I have no legal authority to force the corporation to allow an ambulance on its land. As a result, it is impossible for me to simply accept an ambulance on corporate land for the corporation.
Respectfully, the County has no legal right to force the corporation to allow an ambulance on its land either. The land is owned by the corporation, not the County. The Board of Directors met to address this issue and, with the advice of the entire membership, voted not to allow the ambulance on corporation property. I understand that the Board’s concerns were that there is not a sufficient facility here to house the ambulance or sufficient staffing to properly staff it while maintaining the high degree of competence and dedication that the community has come to expect from the volunteers at Station 33.
However it is in my power to complete this implementation plan as a guideline to providing transportation service to our citizens. This plan addresses the concerns of the Board and the County. It allows for an ambulance on corporation land, but requires the County to provide an appropriate facility and paid career staffing for the ambulance. As you know, there used to be career staff at Station 33 and when they were removed by the County in 1995, the volunteers shouldered the additional burden. Replacing the career staff in order to achieve the County’s goals now seems to be a reasonable solution to the present impasse.
The implementation plan was compiled utilizing the advice of the EMS task force and various members of Stations 33 and 46. This plan has not yet been approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, but if it is acceptable to the County, I will recommend it to the Board.
As the Chief Operational Officer of the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department of Kentland, Maryland Incorporated, I am requesting that you and your command staff join with Station 33 in cooperating to complete this implementation plan and resolve our current differences. We would also be pleased to meet with you and all interested parties personally in order to resolve any remaining differences between us.
Lawrence H. Sedgwick, Jr., PGFD Chief
May 17th, 2007
Page 3
As for support from the Landover community on this proposed implementation plan, we have been in contact with members and representatives from our immediate impact zone and they also agree that this would be of extreme benefit to their well being and safety. All of which were extremely confident that the County Government would also back this plan.
Implementation (Action) Plan – BLS Transportation Service (Ambulance)
In summary this implementation plan or action plan will consist of the following: Providing land that is already owned by the Kentland VFD to the rear of Station 33 to the Prince George’s County Government through a legally-binding lease agreement. The Prince George’s County Government, with the cooperation of the Kentland VFD and the PGFD shall place a temporary style office/living quarters on that said piece of property. Also, a tent or carport style structure (of a temporary fashion) that has climate control capabilities shall be attached to provide storage of a BLS transport unit. Once the logistics of this structure and its contents are completed a crew of two (2) County Career (paid) personnel on a 24/72 shift shall be placed at the site for guaranteed full time coverage. After all of the aforementioned tasks are complete, the unit may become operational and placed in service. This facility known as the Greater Landover EMS Station will be in service to provide the citizens of the Kentland area with a BLS transport unit from Station 33’s property. Essentially the same as it would if housed within Station 33. This can all be done with the cooperation of the said parties involved (PG County Government, PGFD, Kentland VFD).
The following actions shall be completed to successfully fulfill the “mission”:
Progressive Step 1 -The Kentland VFD’s administrative officers shall meet immediately to retain a contractor to section off a portion of the already owned (by the KVFD) land as to be used for the new Greater Landover EMS Station. The area shall be marked and a decision shall be made as to the value of the land plot. An appraiser will be used to estimate the total rental value or the parties shall reach a value by agreement. This process shall take no longer than 10 working days given resources are readily available.
Lawrence H. Sedgwick, Jr., PGFD Chief
May 17th, 2007
Page 4
Progressive Step 2 – A meeting shall take place with the administrative officers of the Kentland VFD, the command staff of the PGFD, representatives from the PG County Government, legal representatives and certain members of the community to sign a legally binding contact (M.O.U.) with witnesses as to the Prince George’s County Government using land provided by the Kentland VFD exclusively for a BLS transport unit to serve the citizens of Greater Landover, Maryland.
Progressive Step 3 – The Prince George’s County Government shall secure a trailer/temporary style structure for office and living space. There shall be enough space to effectively house two (2) on duty shift personnel and a total of eight (8) personnel (two per every shift for four shifts). The housing unit shall also provide a climate controlled living area, two beds, running water and bathroom. The Prince George’s County Government shall also secure a vehicle storage tent or port that can effectively house a freightliner (County Owned) ambulance. This facility shall also be climate controlled to protect the transport unit from weather and vandalism. Both facilities shall be supplied with an adequate power supply to operate lighting, computers, appliances, charging systems, etc. It is recommended that a back-up generator unit be placed at the facility for the occasional power outages.
Progressive Step 4 – The Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department shall allocate a total of eight career personnel trained to the level of Emergency Medical Technician – B for the placing of a BLS unit in service from the constructed Greater Landover EMS Station. It is the recommendation of the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department of Kentland, Maryland, Incorporated that the PGFD may wish to provide an EMT-P (Paramedic) as one of the providers on each shift making this unit a “Paramedic Ambulance” capable of administering certain life saving drugs. This would also make a considerable impact on the ALS response times to Company 33’s first due as provided in statistics by the PGFD. This would most certainly make the citizens we serve even happier than the implementation plan at hand.
Progressive Step 5 – This step will serve as the final step of the implementation plan. With a projected completion/in service date of July 8th, 2007 this will fall in line with the County Government’s pay period schedule. The BLS or Paramedic transport unit will come to existence in the facility provided with County Career Fire personnel at 0700 hours this date (7/8/07). It will function within the general orders and dispatch procedures as outlined by the County Fire Chief. Also, on Monday July 8th, 2007 the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department of Kentland, Maryland, Incorporated will hold a press conference to the rear of Fire Station 33 and to the front of the newly constructed EMS facility along with the PGFD and
Lawrence H. Sedgwick, Jr., PGFD Chief
May 17th, 2007
Page 5
community leaders showing the newly provided service of BLS transport to the community through a joint effort between the KVFD and the PGFD. Not only will this show a good faith measure by both parties involved, but that the community can count on the Volunteer and Career Fire Services to “do the right thing”.
In closing it is my hope that you and your command staff take this implementation plan seriously and with the utmost consideration. Again, I am requesting that the Prince George’s County Fire and Emergency Medical Services command staff place any differences aside and attempt to work with the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department of Kentland, Maryland, Incorporated to carry out this important plan of action. Likewise, I am asking members of my staff and station to do the same.
Although I was only given a total of four and a half working days to form my implementation plan in it’s entirety, I believe that this action plan should successfully fulfill my directive as set forth by you. The volunteer membership of the Kentland VFD has been and always will be committed to providing the most efficient, professional and effective service to the community that is possibly available. You may contact me personally at Fire Station 33 (301) 773-6032 to get this endeavor off the ground. I look forward to working with you.
Cc: President George W. Bush, Commander and Chief, United States of America
The Honorable Martin O’Malley, Governor, State of Maryland
The Honorable Anthony G. Brown, Lt. Governor, State of Maryland
The Honorable Albert R. Wynn, Congressman, State of Maryland, 4th Cong. Dist.
The Honorable Nathaniel Exum, Senator, State of Maryland, District 24
The Honorable Carolyn J. B. Howard, Delegate, District 24
The Honorable Joanne C. Benson, Delegate, State of Maryland, District 24
The Honorable Douglas J.J. Peters, Senator, State of Maryland, District 23
The Honorable Jack B. Johnson, County Executive, Prince George’s County, Maryland
The Honorable Mike Herman, Chief of Staff, Prince George’s County, Maryland
Vernon R. Herron, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Public Safety/ Dir. H.S.
The Honorable Camille A. Exum, Chairman, Prince George’s County Council
The Honorable David C. Harrington, Vice Chairman, Prince George’s County Council
The Honorable John Anderson, Mayor, City of Glenarden
Wade Braithwaite, Chief of Police, City of Glenarden
Charlotte Underwood, Kentland Civic Assoc.
The Honorable Theresa M. Dudley, Community Activist, Resident, Kentland, MD.
Paul R. Balta, President, Maryland State Firemen’s Association
Paul Sterling Jr., 1st Vice President, Maryland State Firemen’s Association
Frank Underwood, 2nd Vice President, Maryland State Firemen’s Association
Danny Davis, Legislative Office, Maryland State Firemen’s Association
Donald Strine, Chairman, PG Volunteer Fire Commission
Jim Collins, President, PG Volunteer Fire Assoc.
Robert H. McCoy, Acting Lieutenant Colonel, EOC
Curtis E. Eaby, Major, Fire/Rescue Operations
Michael S. Mattison, Fire Chief, Kentland Vol. Fire Dept. of Kentland, MD, Inc.
Sheila A. Mann, President, Kentland Vol. Fire Dept. of Kentland, MD, Inc.
Cary J. Hansel, Attorney at Law, Joseph, Greenwald and Laake
Jason L. Levine, Attorney at Law, Joseph, Greenwald and Laake
Kentland/Kent Village Civic Association
Various other community assoc. and representatives
Acting Fire Chief President
Anthony P. Kelleher Sheila A. Mann
100% Volunteer - 100% of the Time