Politics & Government

From Moms to Mortgage Brokers, Howard County Adds 25 Firefighters, EMTs to Roster

The county recently graduated its 26th trainee class, which officials said was the most diverse the department had ever seen.

Trish Harris of Glen Burnie got a new job for her second wedding anniversary: firefighter.

Harris was a stay-at-home mom until last year, tending to her 3-year-old. Earlier this month, she was officially inducted into her new job with the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue during a ceremony at  in Columbia.

The daughter of an Anne Arundel County police officer, Harris said she had sirens going off in her head telling her to go into a career in public safety. But after researching the schedules of police officers, she got discouraged.

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“I didn’t want shift work,” she said.

Last week, Harris started her new position:  firefighter/emergency medical technician. Her new job has a schedule of 24 hours on, 48 hours off at Bethany Station in Ellicott City.

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In fact, 25 people had their first day working at fire stations across Howard County last week after being officially inducted March 12. Finally, they got the chance to put into practice what they learned during seven months of training.

The academy’s 26th trainee class was unique on many levels, said officials.

"We made a concerted effort to get the best of the best," said Howard County Fire Chief William Goddard III.

He said there were 2,000 applicants for the 25-member class, and all had to go through a battery of tests.

"The diversity of the class was remarkable, and we had the largest number of female graduates in the history of the department,” added Jackie Cutler, department spokeswoman.

Two women, including Harris, left the ranks of stay-at-home mothers to join the fire department, said Cutler. Another trainee, a male, was literally taken out of the classroom and recruited in.

Jonathan Cheatham of Columbia worked in the mortgage industry for six years before joining this trainee class. An operations manager by day, he elected to take a class in CPR and first aid at .

That's where he was approached by the instructor—Howard County Fire and Rescue's Deputy Chief John Butler—who picked him out as a natural fit for the department.

"When one door opens..." said Cheatham, holding onto his graduation plaque, the key to his next threshold: the Clarksville fire station, where he just finished his first week.

Another recent graduate, Jason Shanley, came to Howard County Fire and Rescue from the Air Force.

For nine years, he was on active duty with the military in Burn City, NJ.

"But I always knew I wanted to be a career firefighter," said Shanley.

While working at Andrews Air Force Base, he heard about jobs opening in Howard County's fire department and seized the opportunity. He recently moved to Sykesville and was thrilled to be stationed at Savage, where he said he got a good shift and a “great crew.”

The new Savage and Glenwood stations were set to be built by fall 2011, said Cutler, but since both projects have become stalled, the department won't initiate another recruitment effort this year.

Cutler said it has not been determined when the next round of hiring will occur.


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