ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. — The Anne Arundel County Firefighters Union said a firefighter being hurt on the job shows the truth of the pitfall of inadequate staffing.
WATCH: Firefighters union says injured firefighter result of short staffing
Short staffing of firefighters could become dangerous—that's what the Anne Arundel County Professional Firefighters Union told WMAR-2 News when I first spoke to them in February.
Tuesday night proved their point.
A firefighter fell through a house floor in Severn while battling a fire.
Casey Cameron, 3rd vice president with the Anne Arundel County Professional Fire Fighters Local 1563 union, told us how he felt hearing of the situation.
"Worried," Cameron said. "We've been saying for a while now that our staffing crisis was going to catch up to us. We've been preaching it; our firefighters are continuing to do more with less."
However, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department says the injury was not related to staffing shortages, sending WMAR-2 News a statement saying,
Any time one of our firefighters is injured in the line of duty, it is deeply concerning, and the safety of our personnel is a top priority at ALL times.
It is important to clarify that the injury was not related to staffing shortages.
The fire at the single-family home on Redhaven Court in Severn on March 10, 2026, exceeded the National Fire Protection Association 1710 (NFPA) standards for firefighter staffing during emergencies. For this incident, we had 34 firefighters on the initial dispatch for a residential fire with approximately 20 more added as soon as the first-arriving crews observed fire coming from the home. Additional medic units were added as the incident progressed. In total, we had 60 firefighters on the scene of this incident. The crews operating inside the home were performing their duties as trained and outlined in department policy. Initial reports indicated there may still have been an occupant trapped inside the home, and, consistent with our mission to protect life, firefighters made entry to search the home for the occupant.
While conducting a search inside the home for an occupant, one of our firefighters partially fell through a floor that had burned through. The firefighter was able to self-extricate quickly with the help of his crew. He was immediately transported to Shock Trauma for evaluation and treatment and was released that same evening. We are grateful and relieved that the firefighter suffered minor injuries and is doing well. We remain proud of the commitment our firefighters and medics demonstrate daily while serving Anne Arundel County.
The union said, according to an independent study, the county is down 350 firefighters from the national safe standard of four people per fire engine.
"That particular firefighter was on a three-person truck company, and luckily his officer was behind him, but there was no other backup firefighter."
However, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department says the injury was not related to staffing shortages, sending me a statement saying,
Any time one of our firefighters is injured in the line of duty, it is deeply concerning, and the safety of our personnel is a top priority at ALL times.
It is important to clarify that the injury was not related to staffing shortages.
The fire at the single-family home on Redhaven Court in Severn on March 10, 2026, exceeded the National Fire Protection Association 1710 (NFPA) standards for firefighter staffing during emergencies. For this incident, we had 34 firefighters on the initial dispatch for a residential fire with approximately 20 more added as soon as the first-arriving crews observed fire coming from the home. Additional medic units were added as the incident progressed. In total, we had 60 firefighters on the scene of this incident. The crews operating inside the home were performing their duties as trained and outlined in department policy. Initial reports indicated there may still have been an occupant trapped inside the home, and, consistent with our mission to protect life, firefighters made entry to search the home for the occupant.
While conducting a search inside the home for an occupant, one of our firefighters partially fell through a floor that had burned through. The firefighter was able to self-extricate quickly with the help of his crew. He was immediately transported to Shock Trauma for evaluation and treatment and was released that same evening. We are grateful and relieved that the firefighter suffered minor injuries and is doing well. We remain proud of the commitment our firefighters and medics demonstrate daily while serving Anne Arundel County.
While they've been in constant communication with the county executive's office and the county fire chief, there's been no movement on the situation.
"The county still hasn't struck the budget. We haven't heard if they're adding any positions this year. The department is still waiting to see if the SAFER grant will be approved."
Cameron said despite the shortage, they'll continue to work to keep residents safe.
"Just know that your Anne Arundel County professional firefighters will continue to show up when you call."
WMAR-2 News reached out to the county executive's office,
They told us that they will have a full statement in response sometime Thursday.
