The Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute is the state’s comprehensive training and education system for all-hazard responses. The Institute plans, researches, develops and delivers quality programs to prepare agencies and individuals to protect life, property and the environment.
The Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute is and will continue to be a premier emergency services training and education organization by developing and delivering high-quality training. MFRI will constantly evolve to address developing trends and needs in emergency services training.
As this fiscal year comes to a close, it presents the opportune time to reflect, refocus and recommit to our mission of providing first responders with the highest caliber of education and training. The Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI) staff and instructors served more than 24,000 students this year, working continuously to ensure that emergency services providers receive the preeminent training needed to ensure their indispensable skills are at their ready.
To that end, we have stayed the course following the road map that was created through the establishment of our strategic plan four years ago. Our talented staff and subject matter expert groups have also retooled and revamped many classes that were slated for revision to ensure
better product delivery and skills attainment for our customers.
Thanks to a $500,000 Assistance to Firefighters Grant from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), we broadened our cache of tools, training props and protective equipment enhancing student safety and providing hands-on learning experiences.
Through an additional FEMA-funded grant, MFRI and the Department of Fire Protection Engineering at the University of Maryland have partnered on important and essential research focused on mitigating fireground contaminants exposure for first responders.
We also continue to see through an $8.5 million renovation of our Western Maryland Training Center, which will provide Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties with a state-of-the-art training facility.
All of these successes can be attributed to the dedication of our faculty, staff and instructors. Their combined commitment to our mission enables MFRI to prepare agencies and individuals to protect life, property and the environment.
With a 90-year tradition of delivering world-class emergency services training, MFRI is rooted in service and ever ready to provide education that equips those we train to expertly serve citizens in every corner of our state, nationally and globally. As we begin a new fiscal year, the future remains bright and our accomplishments will be many.
MFRI recently transitioned to a computer-based testing system that also provides test-item analysis.
The new system has several benefits. While all students in each class are tested on the same questions, the exam itself can be scrambled into 26 different versions providing greater test security. Also, after submitting the test, students can obtain their unofficial exam results immediately rather than having to wait until the next business day.
In addition, the program allows for in-depth, test-item analysis, which enables MFRI instructors to assess the difficulty level of questions and also determine if tests contain “poor questions.” The program can also accommodate quick adjustments. If it is determined that a question has two possible correct answers, MFRI Planning Section personnel can swiftly correct the issue before another class takes the exam.
Historically Instructor Candidate Skills Weekends have been held at MFRI Headquarters in College Park, twice a year, in the spring and fall. Executive Director Michael Cox has announced that MFRI will now take the skills weekends to all regions, making them convenient and cost effective for instuctors. Several skills sessions have already been held and additional sessions are scheduled in southern Maryland. Requests for local Skills Weekends are handled by MFRI Regional Coordinators.
The Fire 99 PPE/SCBA program was recently updated and assigned a new course number. Fire 098 is now 12 hours long to enable students to spend more time wearing PPE and SCBA while performing skills. Students will be required to successfully complete performance test items including donning and doffing PPE/SCBA, working in PPE/SCBA, inspecting SCBA, and calling a mayday.
MFRI’s National Registry EMT pass rates are consistently above the national average. To that end, MFRI’s EMT program continues to evolve in an everfocused effort to best train our students. To ensure their success, MFRI has purchased new equipment. After instructor training has been completed in the upcoming months, the following equipment upgrades will include: electronic blood pressure arms, pelvic binders, Kendrick traction splints, adult and infant trach manikins, obstetric manikins, Demo Dose simulated medications, CPR feedback manikins, and triage cards.
• Emergency Medical Responder*
• Instructor I*
• Instructor II
• Instructor III
• Fire Inspector I and II
• Fire Officer I through IV
• Marine Fire Fighting
• Airport Fire Fighting
• Emergency Vehicle Operator*
• Emergency Medical Services Officer I
* Three hours have been added to these courses for additional skills development.
• Vehicle Extrication - Common Vehicle*
• Pumper Operator*
• Incident Safety Officer*
• Health and Safety Officer*
• Aerial Operator*
• Swift Water Rescue*
• Surface Water Rescue*
• Technical Rope Rescue**
• Confined Space Rescue**
• Trench Rescue**
• Vehicle Rescue - Heavy Vehicle**
• Structural Collapse**
• Live Fire Instructor**
• Fire Investigator** * These courses are expected to move to pilot in the Fall of 2022. ** These courses are expected to pilot in Spring 2023.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded a $126,000 Fire Prevention and Safety Grant partnering the University of Maryland and MFRI to research fireground contaminant prevention. The 12-month study identifies the challenges of mitigating post-incident exposure to fireground contaminates and determining effective decontamination protocols.
The research team surveyed fire departments across the country assessing their decontamination protocols. They also held workshops with safety officers to hear firsthand about successes and challenges in developing, implementing and managing contaminate-prevention policies.
Firefighter access to a second set of gear was identified as a key factor in the success of decontamination policies.
The final report will address how to quantify an exposure; proper PPE requirements; decontamination protocols; policy gaps; and training needs.
MFRI also was awarded an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) totaling $558,199. Created in 2001 to strengthen national preparedness and resilience, the AFG enables firefighters and other first responders to obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and the resources necessary to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.
MFRI is using the funds to purchase equipment to support firefighter training. Items being acquired include: a shoring kit, spray nozzles, respiratory protection, a fit tester, ladders, simulators, turnout gear, SCBA units and propane-fueled props that simulate liquid and gas fires.
Serving Allegany, Garrett and Washington Counties, the Western Maryland Regional Training Center in Cresaptown, MD is undergoing a major renovation. The approximately $8.5 million project is slated to be completed by spring 2023.
Once the renovation is complete, the training center will feature:
• An administrative building that houses classrooms and is double the size of the previous structure
• A new and expanded storage building
• 50-square foot training pads for vehicles
• Completely new propane flammable gas and flammable liquids training areas
• A renovated burn building with new heat resistant linings
• A new pump training area
• A renovated drafting pit area
• An 18,000-gallon propane tank that will supply training fuel
• An upgraded staging pavilion with lighting and fans
• New roadways throughout the training area
• A milled and resurfaced parking lot
During the renovations, the Western Maryland Regional Training Center staff is leasing space at Frostburg University.
• Nozzles
• Gated Wyes
• In-line Foam Eductors
• 29 Sets of Instructor Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to include helmets, turnout jackets and pants, boots, hoods and gloves
• Ground Ladders for the Regional Training Centers
• Scott and MSA Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
In addition to our headquarters in College Park, Maryland, MFRI provides state-of-the-art fire, rescue and emergency medical training programs throughout the state of Maryland. MFRI’s faculty and staff is supported by over 594 statecertified instructors who deliver programs through site-specific mobile training, or at any of the regional training centers.
NORTH
REGIONAL TRAINING CENTER EDGEWOOD, MD
Serving Harford, Cecil and Baltimore Counties and Baltimore City
UPPER EASTERN SHORE REGIONAL TRAINING CENTER CENTREVILLE, MD
Serving Kent, Queen Anne’s, Caroline, Talbot and Anne Arundel Counties
ANNE
Serving Wicomico, Worcester, Dorchester and Somerset Counties
REGIONAL TRAINING CENTER CRESAPTOWN, MD
Serving Allegany, Garrett and Washington Counties
NORTH CENTRAL REGIONAL OFFICE MOUNT AIRY, MD
Serving Carroll, Frederick, Howard and Montgomery Counties
MD
Serving Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s and Prince George’s Counties
