Frederick County Fire & Rescue: Your Mission Starts Here!
When you think of a firefighter, what comes to mind? Helping people on their worst days; jumping into action; being a trusted member of the community? Being a firefighter is all this and more! Firefighters not only respond to fires, car accidents, and emergency medical calls, but they tackle numerous other unique emergency situations too, like water rescues, mountain rescues, and hazardous materials emergencies—no two days are the same. Besides running calls, their days are filled with various trainings—learning new skills and tactics, becoming familiar with the response area, understanding how equipment works—chores around the station, and engaging with the community by providing education programs and attending events. If you’re searching for a new career and have a passion for helping others, enjoy being part of a team environment, desire continuous growth, and want something that will keep you on your toes, then look no further. Welcome to Frederick County Fire & Rescue; your mission starts here.
Here in Frederick County, the Division of Fire & Rescue Services employs over 600 career firefighters across 30 stations, serving an intricate mix of wildland, rural, suburban, and urban landscapes. These individuals come from a variety of backgrounds and communities. Some have known they wanted to be a firefighter since they were kids, coming from a family of first responders, while many happened to stumble into firefighting as career along the way.
Take the Caves for example! Battalion Chief Chad Cave began with Frederick County Fire & Rescue 23 years ago. Coming from a law enforcement family, he initially wanted to be a police officer; however, the hiring age for firefighters was younger than it was for police. After working for two other departments, Chief Cave eventually accepted an offer with Frederick not only because it was an up-and-coming area, but also because he wanted to work and live in the same county.
His son Riley, who was hired in 2023 and is now a Firefighter I, did not have any interest in being a firefighter like his dad when he grew up. While attending Walkersville High School and trying to figure out his next steps, Riley had the opportunity to participate in the work studies program; taking the chance to spend half the day outside of the classroom, Riley would go to Station #31 Westview to learn about the day-to-day life of a firefighter. He eventually was moved to Station #11 Walkersville Fire Company, where he started volunteering. When talking about why he decided to become a firefighter after graduating from Walkersville High School in 2022, Riley credits his time as a volunteer saying, “What sparked my interest was volunteering. Through that I got to see the firehouse comradery while doing my work studies program, but I also had the opportunity to ride on fire apparatus to calls, and doing that for the first time gets you hooked!”
The Caves, who both live in Walkersville, highly value living and working in the same community; they emphasized the value of knowing the community, its history, and the deep appreciation they have for giving back to the community that made them. They also shared their vested interest in providing the best service they can because the place they work is also their home. Riley’s advice if you are considering being a firefighter, “Get involved. Start volunteering. Go down to a firehouse and ask the crews questions you have. The worst thing you can do is not try!”
Speaking of volunteering, that’s exactly how Lieutenant Krystal Lowry and Firefighter Tre Roper started out. Lt. Lowry grew up in a fire service family too, but if you asked her if she wanted to be a firefighter, the answer was a resounding “no”, so much so that she wouldn’t even go into the engine bay when visiting her parents at the firehouse. It wasn’t until she witnessed ash falling from the sky due to a fire in her neighborhood that resulted from kids playing with fireworks that she had a remote interest in the fire service; even then, she was more invested in fire prevention and education than actual firefighting. As a teen, Lt. Lowry had the chance to assist with a Scout Camp, where she made friends with the volunteers who were working in the first-aid cabin. To keep in touch after, Lt. Lowry joined the 9-1-1 Explorer Post at the Station #24 Walkersville Rescue Company, where she had the opportunity to learn more about emergency medical care. As she continued volunteering and riding along on calls, she became hooked on the adrenaline rush; by her sophomore year of high school, she knew she wanted to be a firefighter. After submitting applications to numerous agencies, Lt. Lowry was hired by Frederick County Fire & Rescue, where she has been a valuable member of the department since January 2007, working her way up the ranks in various positions, including serving in the Fire Marshal’s Office and more recently as the Recruit Class Commander for Recruit Class 37, who graduated in August 2024. Krystal, who is also a resident of Frederick, takes a great deal of pride in living in and working for the same community. Frederick is her home, and when responding to calls, she considers each person she helps part of her home, whether you live here or you’re just visiting; it’s what drives her to provide the best care possible.
After giving college a try and feeling as though it wasn’t the right fit, Firefighter Tre Roper came across a Gear Up poster, which motivated him to volunteer at Station #3 United Steam Fire Company in Downtown. Firefighter Roper reflects on his time as a volunteer with great admiration, crediting the culture of the Department as well as mentorship and investment he received from a number of career personnel, many of whom are still employed with the Department today, as a major factor in his decision to apply to be a career firefighter with Frederick County. Firefighter Roper, who is also a basketball coach at Frederick High, still builds off that same investment he received by participating in school career days and assisting with community outreach events hosted by the Department, like Junior Firefighter Day.
Firefighter Recruit Julian Lee-Lopez, on the other hand, didn’t enter the Academy with any previous volunteer experience. Recruit Lee-Lopez, a Frederick local, was working as a security guard when some of his friends, who were firefighters, shared stories with him about life on the job. Looking for something more, he scoured social media to get a better understanding of what the career was like. Since starting the Academy in January 2025, Recruit Lee-Lopez says, “So far, I feel like I just scratched the surface, but [I am] learning a lot as I go on. Being hands-on [with the] tools, hose, apparatus, and other equipment. [The] relationships we build among each other is definitely one of things I enjoy the most as part of DFRS.”
For some, firefighting is a second career. Firefighter Recruit Andrew Rutherford formally served in the U.S. Army as a Sergeant for 6 years before retiring in 2015. After serving in the military and completing both his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Criminology from Florida Atlantic University, he accepted a position with the Maryland Department of Veteran Affairs, serving as the Veteran Service Officer for Frederick County. Although he was grateful for the opportunity to serve the Veterans within his community, he had a desire to do more. Having led a casualty liaison team in Bagram, Afghanistan, Recruit Rutherford had the opportunity to work in the emergency department, triaging injured service members, coalition forces, and local nationals. He felt that serving as a firefighter would have many parallels to the military, highlighting the mental discipline, fast-paced thinking, and attention to detail that is required in both lines of work. If you ask Recruit Rutherford why he chose Frederick County Fire & Rescue, he will tell you, “I specifically applied to Frederick County because my family and I live in Frederick County. I want to work where we are raising our kids, and I want to give back to the community that has served our family well.”
Firefighter Recruit John Woodward worked as Civil Estimator for Conewago Enterprises for 14 years, a general contractor, and a realtor all before applying to the Academy. At the age of 38, Recruit Woodward wanted to serve people, but felt like he missed his opportunity to join the military or fire department due to his age. It wasn’t until he met several personnel from Frederick County Fire & Rescue, that we he encouraged to apply. In talking about the best part of the job so far and what he would tell someone who is considering a major career change, Recruit Woodward says, “I love that every day, every call, every situation is different. I love the fast-paced environment and learning something new every day. I get to help people, help the community, help my fellow coworkers….all while making a career of it. Every day is a different day, you don’t know what or who you will interact with. No matter your age, no matter your background, pursue your dreams, and put forth 100% effort all them time.”
Firefighter Recruit James Seeley, formally a career firefighter for the City of Monroe Fire Department, moved to Myersville in January 2025 with his family. His wife, a Frederick County native, participated in the high school internship program along with her sister as their family has deep roots in the volunteer fire service here in Frederick County. Before applying to the academy, Recruit Seeley had the chance to attend trainings hosted at the Frederick County Training Facility and taught by Frederick County Fire & Rescue personnel; he was amazed at the culture that Frederick County Fire and Rescue has and wanted to be a part of it. His advice to anyone who is considering this career, “Just do it! [It’s the] greatest job in the world. You get to do, see, learn things that a majority of people will never get the chance to. There are so many different paths that you can find your niche in and dive head first into. You will make some of the closest friends and strongest bonds that you will carry with you for the rest of your life. There’s never a boring day in the fire service!”
So, no matter where you come from or how you get here, when you walk through the doors of Frederick County Fire & Rescue, we have a place for you, and the opportunities are endless. If you’re interested in becoming a firefighter in Frederick County, here are some important things to know…
The Basics
In Frederick County, you are trained as both a firefighter and EMT (Emergency Medical Technician).
Most of our Firefighter/EMTs work a 24-hour on/48-hour off shift schedule, with a “Kelly” day every third week.
You don’t need a college degree or previous experience to be a firefighter.
Application Process
Interested applicants must
Be at least 18 years old,
Have a high school diploma or GED, and
Have a valid driver's license.
The hiring process can take 6 – 9 months and consists of an
Application,
Written exam,
Physical ability test (CPAT),
Oral interview,
Psychologic evaluation,
Physical exam and drug test, and
Background investigation.
Training
Once hired, recruits attend a 28-week paid training academy Monday – Friday from 7am – 4pm. In the academy, recruits are trained on
Firefighting skills and tactics,
Rescue techniques,
Basic hazardous materials response,
Basic arson detection,
Emergency vehicle operation,
Emergency medicine, and more!
Frederick County Fire & Rescue offers an in-house paramedic program as well as training for our various special operations teams, including hazmat, technical rescue, water and dive rescue, wildland, unmanned aircraft systems, and tactical EMS.
Pay & Benefits
Frederick County Fire & Rescue’s competitive pay and benefits include:
Starting Salary: $51,564
After Graduation: $54,564
Paramedic: $64,564
Pension/401K
Comprehensive healthcare from Day 1
Paid leave
GI Bill Benefits
Behavioral health program