In November career firefighters were anticipated to return to Greenbelt as soon as February. That timeline now looks overly optimistic, but the expectation of their return continues. “I cannot predict exactly when the Department will be able to resume full staffing at Station 835,” wrote Prince George’s County Fire Chief Thelmetria Michaelides in a letter to City Manager Josué Salmerón dated January 15. Yet, she offered the assurance, “Once appropriate staffing levels are achieved throughout the Department, it is our full intent to return career staffing to Station 835.” The pledge to return firefighters is a welcome change since Michaelides took over the role of fire chief on July 1, 2025.
In the meantime, Salmerón told the News Review that the city’s hearing in the legal action over the firefighters’ removal has been postponed until September 2026, at the city’s request and with the county’s agreement.
On November 12, 2025, Berwyn Heights celebrated the return of their career firefighters.
The Removal
On June 30, 2024, career firefighters were pulled from Greenbelt, Berwyn Heights, Bowie–Belair and Bunker Hill. The county firefighters were reallocated as part of what was initially called a “summer staffing schedule” but looked to be permanent in September that year. Greenbelt, Berwyn Heights and College Park jointly pursued legal action against the county over the removal.
Anticipating Recruits
Michaelides reported in her letter to Salmerón that most vacant positions in the fire department have now been filled with new recruits who are completing their training. The county fire department anticipates a new class of recruits to graduate next month. They will then require 30 days of field training. “Even with these graduating firefighters, staffing shortages remain a challenge,” noted Michaelides, who also cited upcoming retirements and pending collective bargaining agreement staffing obligations. “In the future if staffing shortages require the Department to remove staff from Stations 814 [Berwyn Heights] or 835, the Department will meet and confer with the leadership of the stations as soon as practical, prior to making any staffing changes,” wrote Michaelides. In 2024, the city was notified of the removal of all career staff three weeks in advance.
Salmerón remains hopeful that retirements and staff departures will be reduced and Greenbelt will be able to welcome firefighters back in the spring.
