Fire Chief Presents Reallocation Need; Local Leaders Respond
On Thursday, November 14, the Prince George’s County Council held a public meeting on the June 2024 county fire services reallocations. The seats in the chamber of the Wayne K. Curry Building were filled, with press standing at the back and some attendees at the sides. Greenbelt residents turned out in force, along with City […]
Man’s Death Follows Dispatch Difficulties; PGFD Violates PIA
(Editor’s Note: The News Review had hoped to be able to report on this incident with access to official documents. Following our Public Information Act (PIA) request, the Prince George’s County Fire Department (PGFD) was required under the Act to provide records or respond with a decision about them within 30 days. Despite our further […]
Mail-In Ballots Not Yet “Received” Cause Concern for Greenbelters
One Greenbelter visited the News Review office to share their concern about a returned mail-in ballot the day before the election. Others tracking the status of their mail-in ballots sent from Greenbelt are concerned they still haven’t been marked as “received” weeks later. A representative from the Prince George’s County Board of Elections says that […]
City’s JEDI Team Calls for Action Over Councilmember’s Behavior
On August 29, the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Action Team – a group of city employees that has 13 members, with all departments represented – sent a memo to City Manager Josué Salmerón. The memo was titled, “Addressing Adverse Behavior from Council Members During Council Meetings.” In opening, the team said they were […]
Fire Department Update: Litigation Dismissed; Response Times Increase
On Monday, October 21, Greenbelt was dealt another blow in their battle to see career firefighters return to the city’s station. A circuit court judge granted Prince George’s County (et al.) their request for a dismissal of the complaint filed by Greenbelt, Berwyn Heights and College Park on June 28. The complaint was for a […]
PGFD Will Not Return Career Staff to Greenbelt Fire Dept.
Twenty-four career firefighters were pulled from Greenbelt station on June 30 as part of what was called a “summer staffing” plan to meet staff shortages exacerbated by scheduled summer vacation leave and unscheduled callouts. After dodging questions about when the reassessment promised for October would take place and what metrics it would use, Prince George’s […]
Unsatisfied Greenbelt City Council Responds to PGFD
On October 2, in an open letter to Prince George’s County Fire Department (PGFD) Chief Tiffany Green, Greenbelt City Council expressed their concern over fire department and EMS response times, prioritization and communication with Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department. Alan Doubleday attended the recent townhall on September 12, to represent PGFD (see the September 19 […]
City Acquires Armory; Feasibility Study Weighs Plans for its Future
On September 16 the deed to the Armory at 7100 Greenbelt Road, located at the corner of Southway and Greenbelt Road, was signed over to the City of Greenbelt. “It’s been years of work,” said City Manager Josué Salmerón. In fact, the News Review reported on the planned acquisition this month three years ago (see […]
PGFD Investigates Delayed Response; Suspends Personnel
On September 23, a fire alarm resulted in the dispatch of emergency vehicles to Green Ridge House on Ridge Road in Greenbelt. The equipment came from West Lanham Hills – five miles away. Firehouses in Greenbelt (0.7 miles), Berwyn Heights (2.2 mile) and College Park (3.9 miles) all considerably closer, were apparently unable to respond […]
Greenbelt Amends City Charter To Allow All-resident Voting
On Monday, September 23, Greenbelt City Council held a public hearing on all-resident voting. Following the hearing the six councilmembers who were present voted unanimously to amend the city’s charter to allow noncitizens to vote in local elections. In the November 2023 election the question of allowing noncitizens who meet residency requirements appeared on the […]