PAID OPERATIONS

of the

Union Bridge Fire Company

   Paid services here at Union Bridge, started in the early 1990's with part-time EMS personnel. An EMT/Driver and an ALS provider, usually a CRT (Cardiac Rescue Technician), were on duty, Monday thru Friday from 7:00AM to 3:00PM. Volunteers staffed the ambulance, Basic Life Support(BLS) and Advanced Life Support(ALS), the rest of the time. Our reasoning behind the need for paid service was our inability to provide guaranteed Emergency Medical Service(EMS) during normal work hours, as our call load increased. Carroll County offered to pay the positions at a rate of $8/hr BLS and $10/hr ALS. We quickly saw the need to make sure our citizens within our first due area received the service and the paid system was initiated.

   Over the years, many of our volunteer EMS personnel were either moving away from the area, became less involved in the company due to personal reasons or in some cases, volunteer ALS providers were unable to keep up with the stringent training requirements. In any case, we continued to increase the amount of hours for our paid operations.

   Another aspect of our paid service began just a few years ago. Money came available through Carroll County to provide a part-time fire apparatus driver/operator/firefighter for fire stations with special service units, including Truck Companies and Rescue Squad companies. This occurred right when one of our biggest daytime personnel resources had a change in operations.

   The towns largest employer, Lehigh Portland Cement Company, had recently built a new plant. This business allowed members of the fire company to respond to emergencies during work hours for many years, however, when the new plant was built, everyone that worked there, including the members we relied on to get our apparatus out during the day, could no longer allow these employees to leave. Each of their positions was considered critical to the plants operation. This inevitable circumstance created a severe reduction in staffing for daytime responses.

   With the money provided by the county and a need for as much help as we could get during the weekdays, we began the "Engineer" position. Each new part-time employee was certified as Firefighters, Pump Operators, Drivers, Rescue Technicians and some with Fire Officer certifications. The "Engineer's" were hired to fill any position needed when we are dispatched to an emergency.

   In 2024, changes were made concerning our paid EMS and Fire/Rescue service here at Union Bridge. The Carroll County Department of Fire and EMS Services took full responsibility for Fire/Rsecue and EMS service. All paid personnel are now Carroll County "career" employees.

   Our station personnel consist of:

Four(4) shifts of EMS Personnel: One BLS Provider and one ALS Provider working a 24 hrs ON / 72 hrs OFF shift (Medic Unit)

and

Four(4) shifts of an "Engineer" position: Working a 24 hrs ON/72 hrs OFF shift (Engine/Rescue Squad)