Counties Urge Collaborative Approach for Firefighter Recruitment, Retention

On January 18, 2023, MACo Policy Director Kevin Kinnally submitted a letter of information to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee for SB0094 – Income Tax – Subtraction Modification – Volunteer Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Medical Services.

Maryland communities value and rely upon career and volunteer fire and rescue services as primary actors in emergency response. However, social and demographic shifts present career and volunteer fire companies with great difficulty in recruiting and retaining firefighters.

Legislation to establish a broad stakeholder-driven effort to study and recommend best practices to recruit and retain firefighters and evaluate options to modernize support for their front-line services – including state and local tax incentives — is a top priority for county governments in the 2023 legislative session.

From the MACo Testimony:

The recruitment and retention of career and volunteer firefighters pose an urgent and highpriority concern for Maryland’s county governments. Accordingly, MACo urges a collaborative, comprehensive approach to ensure long-term stability and resilience for Maryland’s volunteer and career fire companies.