Earlier this month, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich nominated Division Chief Charles Bailey to become the next Fire Chief of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS). Yesterday, MCFRS leaders wrote a letter in support of the appointment. It can be seen below in full:
“Dear Councilmembers,
We represent the senior leadership of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service
(MCFRS) and are pleased to express our strong support for the County Executive’s nomination of Division Chief Charles Bailey to become the next Fire Chief. We have known and worked with Chief Bailey for many years and believe we are well positioned to attest to his intellect, character, and overall focus on the health, safety, and wellbeing of all members of MCFRS. We are also well situated to know how these attributes make him the best fit to lead our large, dynamic, diverse, and unique agency.
Chief Bailey has had positive influences in all corners of MCFRS where he has gained the trust and respect of nearly all members of MCFRS and other County agencies. He has a vision of a “whole of government” approach which displays his ability to work collaboratively. Some of most notable accomplishments that have had a profound impact of health, safety, and wellbeing of MCFRS members include:
- Primary author of the Incident Response Policy. This Policy guides MCFRS through responding to all hazard incidents and focuses on safety of the first responders and the public.
- Leading MCFRS through the COVID crisis. Chief Bailey assembled a team of subject matter experts that developed and implemented plans to best position MCFRS to continue to provide outstanding emergency medical care to our residents, equip our workforce with the best-known and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), and deal with members who fell ill.
- Placed a greater emphasis on behavioral health. Chief Bailey has worked tirelessly to break down the ‘bravado’ barriers that can prevent members from getting the help they need.
It cannot be understated that none of these accomplishments would have been as successful without Chief Bailey’s keen ability to work with and achieve consensus with members of IAFF Local 1664, the Local Fire and Rescue Departments, and other County agencies.
Montgomery County needs a leader with a vision for the future and the ability to adapt. MCFRS is among the largest combination career and volunteer fire/rescue/EMS agencies in the nation. We are one of the few departments in the country that trains its own paramedics within a nationally accredited training program, hosts an Urban Search and Rescue team, staffs its own bomb squad, and supports a very busy swift water rescue team. MCFRS requires a Chief with a vision for continuous improvement and adaptability, the ability to communicate that vision, and the knowledge of how to execute the vision. It is crystal clear to us Chief Bailey is that person.
Thank you for your consideration of this letter,
Division Chief Dorcus Howard Richards
Assistant Chief Edward Radcliffe
Assistant Chief Adam Jones
Assistant Chief Danie Ogren
Assistant Chief Frantz Pinthiere
Division Chief Dominic DelPozzo
Assistant Chief Elizabeth Sanford
Assistant Chief James Carpenter
Assistant Chief Alan Butsch”
Assistant Chief Michael Baltrotsky
Division Chief Michael Kelley