JOHN HENREHAN
WTTG
Reprinted with Permission

WASHINGTON - At the Kensington Volunteer Fire Department, the unpaid personnel are putting in more time than they used to.

To cope with county budget cuts, career firefighters in Montgomery County are having their overtime trimmed-back.

That has caused personnel shortages on weekdays around breakfast time and dinner time at the Kensington station. Kensington Chief James Stanton asked his volunteers to put in more hours and they’ve done that.

Ronnie Dowdy lives at the Kensington station. In exchange for a commitment of 48 hours of duty time per week, Dowdy lives there rent-free. Recently, Dowdy has been committing to more than 60 hours a week. Dowdy says his girlfriend is “beyond annoyed” at how many hours he spends on duty.

21 year old Kristen Bert, a senior at Johns Hopkins University, is also stepping up her commitment as a volunteer. After initially receiving training as an emergency medical technician, Bert is now training for full firefighter certification.

She hopes, someday, to become a nurse or physician. Being a first responder, Bert points out, “Gives me the hands-on experience that you don’t get from sitting in a classroom and talking to professors.”

With real estate values of commercial buildings declining, officials in local governments are predicting very tough budgetary times for at least the next year.

Kensington Chief Stanton hopes managers in Montgomery County will leave intact next year’s fire department budget.

“At some point,” warns Stanton, “If you keep cutting, it will affect response [times]…. I don’t’ want to see that.”