Proclamation Recognizing Building Safety Month

It is Building Safety Month and we are partnering with our friends at the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services and the County's Department of Housing and Community Affairs to help celebrate and promote this important safety initiative.

The theme this year is, “Resilient Communities Start with Building Codes,” which will hopefully raise awareness of the importance of safe and resilient construction, fire prevention, disaster mitigation, backyard safety, energy efficiency and new technologies in the construction industry.

To learn more you can go here: Montgomery County Proclaims May as Building Safety Month

You can also view the video below.

 

Chief Goldstein Speaking at PSTA Groundbreaking

It was a great day to celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Public Safety Training Academy (PSTA) yesterday.  The new training facility will replace the current PSTA which was built in 1973.

The training facility construction will include: 

119,334-gross-square-foot (GSF) Academic Building
4,850-GSF Fire Residential Training Building
11,300-GSF Fire Commercial Training Building
12,000-GSF High Bay and Fire Training Support Building
15,386-GSF Apparatus Building
6,000-GSF Canine Training Building
12,000-GSF Multi-use Cityscape Structure Training area
2,075-GSF Department of Transportation Vehicle Training Support Building
2,095-GSF Fuel Facility. 

Video and photos from the day below.

Division Chief Scott Goldstein To Serve As Acting Fire Chief

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett selected Division Chief Scott Goldstein to serve as the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) Acting Fire Chief, effective January 1, 2015. Most recently Chief Goldstein was assigned as the Operations Division Chief responsible for all field delivery of fire, medical and emergency response services to a community of just over one (1) million citizens spread out over 500 square miles.

The Operations Division is the largest Division within MCFRS and provides nearly 300 daily staffing positions spread over Montgomery County's 37 fire and rescue stations. Daily staffing includes over 50 pieces of large fire and rescue apparatus, 40 EMS transport units, and several dozen specialized and support units. The Department responds to more than 110,000 emergency calls for service annually with a departmental budget of about $218 million dollars.

Prior to his assignment as the Division Chief for Operations, Chief Goldstein served as the Special Operations Section Chief, from April 2009 to May 2013. The Special Operations Section includes; hazardous materials, technical rescue, water rescue, and bomb squad response, interoperability radio cache, Emergency Operations Center liaison and staffing, as well as fire and rescue involvement in all mass gatherings/special events. In Chief Goldstein’s over 23 years with MCFRS he has also been assigned as the Operations Chief Executive Officer, Field Operations Battalion Chief, Deputy Safety Officer, shift supervisor and fire fighter.

Chief Goldstein is actively involved in the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Fire/Police Chiefs subcommittees and was the co-chair of the Law Enforcement and EMS working group that developed a model policy on intergrated operations of law enforcement and fire and rescue personnel during law enforcement incidents.

Since 1990, Chief Goldstein has been a member of the Maryland Urban Search and Rescue Task Force. He has been an Assistant Task Force Leader, Logistics Manager, and Logistics Specialist. Chief Goldstein was instrumental in equipment research and purchasing and the development of its task force cache. He responded as a member of the FEMA Incident Support Team to the Oklahoma City bombing and Hurricane Opal and deployed as a member of MD‑TF1 to the Northridge Earthquake, Hurricanes Charley, Fran, Floyd, Marilyn, and George and to the Pentagon terrorist incident on September 11, 2001.

Chief Goldstein holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland University College and is presently enrolled in the Naval Post Graduate School working towards a Master Degree in Homeland Security with a planned graduation in December 2015.

He, his wife and children reside in Montgomery County.

MCFRS Thanks Councilman Phil Andrews

Earlier today, Chief Lohr presented Councilman Phil Andrews a farewell gift from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service for his 15 years of outstanding service and commitment to MCFRS as Chair of the Council Public Safety Committee.

Thank You Councilman Andrews!

Fire Operations 101 Training Class For County Council Staff

Fire Chief Bowers helping with breathing apparatus training

Yesterday, County Council staff members participated in a special Fire Operations 101 training class held at our Public Safety Training Academy. Staff members received a “crash course” in fire fighter operations, presentations on latest industry technologies, as well as hands-on evolutions featuring extrications, managing and mitigating critical incidents and extinguishing controlled fires.

Fire Chief Bowers was on hand to provide guidance, some training, and encouragement. Council staff did very well and should be proud!

Photos and videos from the day are below.