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 […]
Green Ridge House Residents Wait 23 Minutes for Fire Response
At 11:18 a.m. on Monday, September 23, a fire alarm sounded in the Green Ridge House apartments on Ridge Road. It was a mechanical failure but it would be 23 minutes before a single fire engine responded to the multistory 101-unit complex that is home to elderly and disabled residents. Residents recounted the fear they […]
Greenbelt Parents Share School Transportation Experiences So Far
The Greenbelt News Review solicited comments from Greenbelt parents about their experiences with transportation to see how this year’s transportation changes are impacting families and students locally. Amidst an ongoing driver shortage, Lei Zong’s children didn’t have an assigned bus driver in the mornings. A driver drops off students at Greenbelt Elementary School and picks […]
County Fire Dept Sends PowerPoint Charts to Answer PIA for Analysis
In July the Greenbelt News Review submitted a Public Information Act (PIA) Request for the analysis the Prince George’s County Fire Department (PGFD) has repeatedly said they conducted and used as the basis for the staffing changes but had not shared. They referenced their analysis on several occasions and specifically referred to it in the […]
Greenbelt Officer Joshua Forney Receives Lifesaving Award
In July, Steve Edmonds was moving a piece of glass he intended to turn into a table onto a truck when it collapsed, slicing him in multiple places, including an artery. “There was so much blood it scared me to death,” recalls Edmonds. That afternoon, in the parking lot of Greenway Center, Edmonds began rapidly […]
$429,000 for Firefighter Training; Impact on Current Shortage Unclear
Although no money was allocated to Greenbelt Fire Department, on September 6 U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and U.S. Representatives Glenn Ivey, David Trone and Jamie Raskin (all D-Md.) announced $951,500.90 in federal funding for fire departments in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, resources intended to enhance emergency response capabilities and ensure […]
The New Deal Will be a Big Deal Says New Vendor Sharing Plans
At the New Deal Café’s board meeting on Monday, August 26, their special guest, incoming vendor Kenny Hilliard, who also goes by “The Kale King,” spoke about some of his plans for the Café. Fresh lump crab meat, steak, chicken, lamb chops and tuna (the latter currently in his D.C. location only). Hilliard, who is […]