FIRE/EMS Services

Fire Suppression 

The Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department responds to approximately 200 structure fires a year. Because of the area’s high call volume, the PGFD is one of the busiest career/volunteer combination fire departments in the country. Firefighters use fire suppression strategies and tactics to control the spread of a fire and to extinguish it.  

EMS 

  

The Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department provides emergency medical services through the deployment of basic and advanced life support resources for incidents of sick or injured people. Basic life support ambulances are staffed by EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), who care for patients at the scene of an incident and while taking patients by ambulance to a hospital. EMTs have the skills to assess a patient's condition and to manage respiratory, cardiac, and trauma emergencies. The County also has Paramedic Units, which can perform more complex procedures than the basic life support units. Paramedics may administer medications and perform certain invasive procedures on patients to keep them as stable as possible before they arrive at the emergency department. The Mobile Integrated Health Unit identifies high utilizers of the 9-1-1 EMS system and connects them with healthcare and other community resources. 

Technical Rescue  

The Department has technical rescue resources and teams strategically located in various stations within the County. These technical rescue teams are specially trained and are dispatched to complex vehicle crashes, confined space rescues, high angle rescues, swift water rescues, trench rescues, and collapse rescues.  

HAZMAT 

The Department also has hazardous materials teams positioned around the county, ready to respond to when there is a spill or leak of dangerous chemicals that may cause severe illness, injury, or death. 

Office of the Fire Marshal 

When fires happen, the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department has a team that is tasked with investigating them. The Office of the Fire Marshal serves the public by enforcing laws and ordinances in the County covering the prevention of fires, and the storage, use, and handling of explosive, toxic, corrosive, and other hazardous materials. The Office of the Fire Marshal also oversees the installation and maintenance of private fire alarm systems and fire extinguishing equipment, along with the installation, maintenance, and regulation of fire escapes, and ensuring facilities have adequate fire exits. The Office’s bomb and explosive detection squads provide bomb technicians for most special events within the County. This specialized training is provided by the FBI. The Office can also accept, confiscate, and dispose of any fireworks within the County. The Fire Investigations team is responsible for investigating all fires, explosions, or other emergencies within Prince George's County with unknown causes.