Aoyagi said he believes several factors are causing the continued high collision rate, including a spate of retirements in the department and lack of money for training. Fire officials also note that the call volume has been increasing about 5 percent per year.
The fire department is not the only first responder facing steeper insurance costs. The Montgomery County police department's insurance premium is also costing taxpayers additional money -- up about $400,000 this year because of increased claims, said Lucille Baur, a police spokeswoman.
Baur said the department is trying to determine how many accidents involving police cars occurred in the past year, and officials have appointed a captain to investigate how collisions can be reduced.
Unlike the fire department, however, the police are self-insured by the county's risk management division. That means they do not face being dropped by their insurance provider. The Prince George's, Howard and Anne Arundel county fire departments are also self-insured.
The Montgomery fire department uses a private insurance provider primarily because it relies on a number of volunteer fire stations that operate somewhat independently of the county.
Carr and other fire officials have developed what they call a "25-point plan of action" in a renewed attempt to improve driver safety. The plan affects only the county's 1,000 paid fire and rescue personnel and does not apply to the volunteer units, which have their own commanders.
Under the changes, the first units to arrive at a scene are expected to radio other vehicles to slow down if there is no apparent need for a quick response.
By early next month, Carr said, there will also be a new policy that authorizes only certain firefighters to drive to emergency scenes. Currently, any firefighter above a certain career level may drive.
The chief also plans to ask the county fire commission to develop new response procedures for certain medical calls to limit the number of fire personnel needed on the scene.
Additional driver training is also being ordered, Carr said. In January, the county plans to sponsor the first national forum on firefighters' driver safety to discuss the problem of accidents while responding to emergency calls.
"This is a global plan," Carr said. "It looks at driver behavior, types of calls and the resources needed on calls."
County Council President Steven A. Silverman (D-At Large) said he plans to hold hearings on the issue of escalating insurance costs when the council reconvenes in the fall.
