Greenbelt, Berwyn Heights, College Park file lawsuit after 55 firefighters reallocated

GREENBELT, Md. — Days after a staffing allocation plan was announced by the Prince George's County Fire Department, impacted cities have filed a lawsuit. 

The new plan was developed to address ongoing staffing shortages across the county. 

On Monday evening, the municipalities of Greenbelt, Berwyn Heights, and College Park released a statement expressing disappointment. 

"We are disappointed that our request was denied, but we are committed to working with officials to ensure the safety of our residents and emergency personnel," the statement reads. 

City officials tell WUSA9 that those three cities filed an injunction and had a hearing in court on Monday morning, where their request to reconsider the reallocation of those firefighters was denied. On Friday, Prince George's County Fire Chief Tiffany Green said the reallocation would go into effect, regardless of any lawsuits. 

Also on Friday, Green announced that 55 firefighters from Berwyn Heights, Bowie, Bunker Hill, and Greenbelt would be reassigned to other stations in the county in order to address a shortage of personnel. 

WUSA9 spoke to people who live in Greenbelt on Friday who expressed their concern because, at that station, almost two dozen full-time career firefighters were reassigned, leaving duties to volunteer staff. 

But Green said on Friday that she does not expect any change in response time, and safety is of the utmost importance. 

"What this temporary reallocation does is one make sure the health and welfare of our firefighters and paramedics that do it every single day are safe," she explained on Friday. "The second goal is to ensure that we’re delivering service across the entire county."

Green says 35 new firefighters started training in June, and 32 others will graduate from training later this month. 

Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks funded the hiring of 150 new firefighters starting in the new fiscal year to address the 251 firefighter openings in the jurisdiction. 

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