Background checks now mandated for Carroll volunteer firefighters and EMS

Volunteer fire and rescue personnel in Carroll County will undergo background checks for the first time, to determine if they can serve in the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services.

Department Chief and Director Michael Robinson Sr., said the county has never vetted company volunteers formally.

“Approximately 1,000 people are associated with the volunteer fire companies, and they do everything from handling literally millions of dollars, to overseeing youth programs, to walking into the most intimate spaces of people’s homes and businesses,” he said.

Robinson said it’s appropriate to conduct background checks for staff of the new Department of Fire and EMS, similar to what other municipalities do nationwide.

“It will allow us for the first time to create a centralized database for all volunteer personnel, and this will be useful in handling insurance, workers comp, should any kind of emergency situation occur,” he said.

The Board of Carroll County Commissioners voted unanimously at their meeting Thursday to award a contract to the National Center for Safety Initiatives, a nationwide provider of background checks for organizations and nonprofits, to conduct background checks for fire and rescue personnel in the county. The contract is not to exceed $50,000.

The background checks will include criminal history, sexual offenses, work history, driving violations and civil court cases.

Approximately 1,000 fire and rescue personnel are working as volunteers in 14 stations across the county. They work alongside newly hired paid fire and emergency medical services personnel.

District 1 Commissioner Joe Vigliotti complimented Robinson on the amount of work he has done to create the county’s first Department of Fire and EMS.

“I know it’s not been an easy thing,” he said. “This is a new system for our county, and there’s a lot that we’ve had to improve upon, or a lot that we’ve had to alter.”

Vigliotti said the background checks will be helpful.

Robinson agreed, stating that the background checks are conducted on career personnel as part of the hiring process.

“We’ll have equity on both sides,” he said. “Even though the volunteers are not county personnel, they do have decision-making capability, so it’s critical that we do this process.”

The push to create a combination paid and volunteer county fire service began in Carroll County more than a decade ago. In 2018, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation allowing the county to establish the new department and in October 2020 commissioners unanimously voted to pass an ordinance creating it.

Robinson assumed his role in September 2021, and has been charged with the overall direction, administration and evaluation of the department. Under his leadership, the new Department of Fire and EMS has been purchasing equipment, supplies and vehicles, and hiring personnel.