Emergency Services Director Prepares Pa. Fire Leaders for Change

March 22--Great changes are coming to Harford County's fire and EMS service in the next decade, and the leaders of the Aberdeen Fire Department -- like their counterparts throughout the county -- must be prepared for it, according to Edward Hopkins, director of the Department of Emergency Services.

"Think about those people, from 1889 forward, who built a foundation of your fire company, embracing change and never wavering in their mission to serve and protect your Aberdeen community and all the residents of Harford County," Hopkins said during Aberdeen's annual awards banquet Saturday.

Hopkins was the keynote speaker at the banquet, which was held at the AFD's main firehouse on Rogers Street.

Aberdeen is one of 12 volunteer fire and EMS companies serving Harford County, which does not have a full-time paid fire or ambulance service.

County leaders are proposing significant changes, such as a gradual shift to a county-run EMS service, as recommended in a recent study conducted by the University of Maryland Center for Health & Homeland Security for the county government.

Fire suppression is an all-volunteer service, while EMS is provided by a mix of volunteers and paid providers. The companies are challenged in both areas, as it is more difficult for volunteers to balance answering calls with family and work commitments, they must meet more stringent training requirements and safety regulations, they are adopting more advanced -- and costly -- firefighting technology, and fire companies operate in a world of public scrutiny, social media rumors and protecting themselves from lawsuits, according to Hopkins.

"In 2017, our battle rhythm has gone from a slow, diminutive waltz where your dance steps are measured to a mosh pit at a Metallica concert where you are bounced and slammed around, seemingly with no direction," Hopkins said.

Hopkins, a member of the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company and its former chief, said he doubts that "in five years the fire service will resemble what we have today, and in 10 years it will be drastically, drastically different."

He said firefighters will "always continue to put the wet stuff on the red stuff," but for fire department leaders, "it is all the other changes that we have to face that will tax your spirit."

"You will be challenged by so many external forces that a multi-story, three-alarm working fire with rescue seem like a walk in the park," he said.

Hopkins offered a "pearl," though, noting "Aberdeen has a long and amazing history."

"Make no mistake about it," he said. "You have extremely talented people leading this department. The challenges faced today by your leadership are taxing and although they were fewer than the challenges faced by your founders and those moving forward were equally as taxing."

Hopkins said the fire company officers of today and tomorrow will be "multi-faceted, multi-talented, versatile consensus builders more deeply involved in the budget, bureaucratic and political landscape than any of your predecessors -- these are changes that we have to accept."

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