The MDEM Fire Service Personnel Group, along with representatives from Maryland Fire Chiefs, METRO Fire Chiefs of Maryland, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, MIEMSS, and MDEM are responsible for supporting the activities of Fire and Emergency Services State Coordinating Function. This is done through the coordination and training of Committee members in preparation to staff the Fire and Emergency Services SCF position at the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) during a partial or full activation. As the lead agency for the Fire and Emergency Services SCF, MDEM determines which supporting agencies will be necessary for each specific incident, whether that support will be virtual or at the SEOC. The Branches and supporting agencies are:

• Fire / Rescue Branch-Structural Firefighting-MSFA
• EMS Branch- MIEMSS; Wildland Firefighting-DNR
• Urban Search and Rescue-MSFA
• Swiftwater / Floodwater Rescue-MEAM / MSFA.

The State Consequence Management Operating Plan (CMOP) addresses the interactions and relationships between Prevention, Response, and Recovery. Collectively, these Mission Areas frame the tasks and activities that State Departments / Agencies conduct throughout the lifecycle of a consequence management incident.

We are always in search of additional MSFA members to support the activities of the Committee. A key qualification for all committee members is to be able to staff, either in person or virtually, the Fire and Emergency Services section of the SEOC during activations. The SEOC is located at Camp Frettard in Reisterstown, Maryland.