Kentland Dispatched On Call Out of Area. Chief 33 Says He’s Been Told Not to “Bid” Anymore. Investigation Reported Under Way by PGFD.

Updated 3:15 p.m.

A Prince George’s County Fire/EMS spokesman tells STATter 911 a new investigation involving the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department is now underway. This comes from a call Tower 33 was dispatched on this past weekend that appears to be in violation of PGFD Chief Lawrence Sedgwick’s orders that Kentland’s fire trucks, except under very limited circumstances, are to be confined to Station 33’s first-due response area.

Acting Kentland VFD Chief Eddie Lehan tells STATter 911, on that call, Tower 33 was able to run on a reported building fire outside of Kentland’s first due area for the first time since restrictions were put in place on August 20th. According to Chief Lehan, it happened before 5:00 p.m, Sunday. The call was in Station 28’s (West Lanham Hills) area at an apartment building at 7600 Fontainbleau Drive.

As Kentland has been doing each time a call is dispatched that Station 33 would normally run, a Kentland volunteer was on the radio Sunday reminding dispatchers that they had a crew(s) in quarters. According to Chief Lehan, Chief 28B heard this and requested that Tower 33 respond on the call. Tower 33 was dispatched. While Lehan says Tower 33 made it to the scene, it was not a working incident.

The rest of this story, according to Eddie Lehan, comes in a phone conversation Lehan had today with PGFD’s Major Curtis Eaby. In an email to STATter 911, Lehan describes the conversation this way:

I just spoke to Major Eaby. He gave me a verbal order that Kentland can not “bid” on calls. I told him that they were “requesting” to respond on calls. He said that they were interrupting operations on the fire ground channel. I asked if it would be alright to request on channel “1”. He again replied no. To clarify things, I asked if this was an order from the fire chief. He said no, it was from him. I then stated is this order directed at “all stations in the county”. He said no, only Kentland, because we are restricted to our first due.

I asked him to put it in writing. He said that he would if he gets a chance. I told him that I would be at the station this afternoon and I would like to have it in writing to give to the membership at our meeting tonight.

STATter 911 has made requests to the PGFD PIO and Major Eaby for their version of the events. Chief Spokesman Mark Brady responded by phone and email: “There is an open and ongoing review of the situation regarding bidding on calls that may result in disciplinary action. Because of that I will not be able to comment.”

According to Chief Lehan, “Our requesting to respond was done to notify surrounding companies and communications that Station 33 was fully staffed and available if needed.”

At the Kentland VFD membership meeting tonight they are also expected to discuss and make a decision on the latest offer concerning Ambulance 339. The proposal comes from the meeting last Wednesday between Kentland’s leadership and Prince George’s County officials, including Public Safety Director Vernon Herron. You can read that account, here.