By Caitlyn Freeman
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
The Baltimore County Council is considering a proposal to hire a Phoenix-based consulting firm to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the county Fire Department.
The study, which would be conducted in three stages by FACETS Consulting, LLC, a consulting firm focused on emergency management, would examine career stations and volunteer companies within the department.
The council is scheduled to vote on the proposed $134,600 contract at its next meeting Monday.
Fire Chief Joanne Rund said FACETS would assist the department in creating a plan “to strengthen the department.”
If hired, the company would help the county develop education and training for its employees while also addressing staffing, station locations and facilities, Rund said.
Rund said that when she was first appointed to the position in 2019, state Fire Marshall Brian Geraci approached her about the high fire-related death rate in Baltimore County, which is in the top three statewide. She said Geraci wants the department to address and reduce this number.
Council Chair Julian Jones, Jr., D-4th District, expressed his support for the study, adding that he feels the legislation is a good idea.
“Everybody, every one of us have a tendency to pat ourselves on the back and think how great we are,” said Jones, a former division chief in the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. “And sometimes it takes an outsider to come in and take a look and give an honest assessment as to where we are ranking.”
The council is also considering a bill that would require certain restaurants to install grease interceptors, plumbing devices designed to trap free-floating grease before it can enter and block sewer lines.
While the Department of Public Works doesn’t anticipate any fiscal impact on restaurants as a result of the bill, Councilman Todd Crandell, R-7th District, said he would like to discuss the proposal with those in his district before voting on the bill.
“I just think it’s prudent to hear from them and whether they think this is innocuous or something that puts an undue burden on them,” Crandell said.
Councilwoman Cathy Bevins, D-6th District, responded to Crandell by saying there will be no additional cost to businesses. She said that this practice was already standard within food services and that the bill would help better educate businesses.
“I think that just educating businesses about this and knowing that it is part of business and doing good business, so it’s actually going to be beneficial for them not having backups and to protect their property,” Bevins said.
The council is set to vote on this bill during its Legislative Session on Monday.