Q. How can I obtain a copy of a fire or medic incident report for my insurance company?
A.The easiest way to obtain an incident report is though our online report request system. This online system will take you through the process, step by step, so that you will find the form (available in PDF format) you need. Simply print out the form and follow the instructions for returning it to the Fire Department's Records Division. There is a $10 fee for all incident reports. For more information, or to file a written request, call the Records Division at 410-887-4599.
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Q. Will the Fire Department help me install my child's car seat?
A. The Fire Department provides information about child passenger safety seat installation and referrals to area agencies and private individuals who install child seats. Visit the county's Child Passenger Safety Guide for details.
Q. When can I burn leaves or brush? Can I have a recreational bonfire?
A.Bonfires and leaf burning are illegal in Baltimore County without a permit. Open burning is absolutely prohibited inside the Beltway (I-695). Outside the Beltway, recreational bonfires require a permit from the local Office of the Fire Marshal, 410-887-4880. Agricultural burning -- the burning of leaves, rubbish or debris -- requires a permit from the Fire Marshal and approval by the air quality division of the county's Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management.
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Q. Will I get billed for an ambulance or a medic unit?
A.No. In Baltimore County, emergency medical services represent your tax dollars at work.
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Q. How do I obtain fire station information for my insurance company?
A.Most insurance companies want to know the career or volunteer station nearest you. Visit our station map, or use our My Neighborhood feature to find the one closest to you.
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Q. Are fireworks legal in Baltimore County?
A. Fireworks are illegal in Maryland, unless used as part of a public display for which a permit has been issued. Hand-held and ground-based sparklers are legal in Baltimore County and some other Maryland counties. For more information, contact the Fire Marshal's Office, 410-887-4880.
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Q. Where should I install smoke alarms? How do I know if they are working properly?
A.Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home, and both inside and outside sleeping areas. Test them once a month using the test button. Replace the batteries twice a year, at the same time you reset your clocks in the spring and fall. Print out our handy fact sheet on smoke alarms
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Q. Does the Fire Department provide help with home or business fire safety and fire escape plans?
A.The Department offers a variety of resources to help citizens learn the proper steps to protect against fire, such as fire safety programs, printed brochures and an electronic inventory of fire safety informationthat includes information about fire escape plans. Call the Community Awareness and Safety Education Division, 410-887-4876, for more information. Businesses that need help with emergency escape plans may call the Fire Marshal's Office, 410-887-4880, or the Community Awareness and Safety Education Division, 310-887-4876.
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Q. How does the Fire Department ensure that buildings meet fire codes?
A. The local Office of the Fire Marshal enforces the Baltimore County Fire Prevention Code. The Fire Marshal inspects all commercial, retail and office establishments, as well as rental properties with common areas, once a year for compliance with the fire code. (If your business is a new occupant of an existing building, please register with the Fire Marshal's Office, 410-887-4880, to ensure a place in the annual inspection rotation.) For new residential structures, compliance with the fire code is required before the issuance of a use and occupancy permit.
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Q. Why did you send a fire engine when I called for an ambulance?
A. The fire dispatcher's goal is to provide emergency help to 911 callers as quickly as possible. Sometimes dispatchers will send a fire engine -- which carries trained emergency medical technicians or paramedics -- to a medical call if the engine is closer than a medic unit or ambulance; often a medic unit will follow close behind.
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Q. Do volunteer firefighters have the same qualifications as paid firefighters?
Volunteer and career firefighters receive the same basic training. On the fireground and at emergency medical incidents, Baltimore County career and volunteer units work as one, following the same protocols and chain of command.
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Revised May 4, 2007
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