Mike Schley Jr. Local 734 2nd Vice President

06/18/2026

05/06/2026

Oh, Bob Cenname, Baltimore City Finance Director…

I’ve sat across from you for the past five years in negotiations and arbitration — in “the War Room” — listening to you claim the city is broke when it comes to public safety, while constantly pointing to Kirwan funding obligations and the $44 million settlement in Goodlaxson v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore as excuses. Even on the final day of arbitration, you tried slipping in another “cry for help” presentation, claiming that $5 million in the fire department budget would cripple the city.

Yet somehow there’s never a problem finding money for the Mayor’s Office — a budget larger than the Governor’s office — or for every feel-good social program and political pet project.

Maybe now you’ve finally learned that if you want Baltimore to function, you actually have to fund public safety.

The men and women of the Baltimore City Fire Department have been treated as an afterthought for far too long — especially when city leadership depends on this department for nearly every major event and emergency response. Whether it’s staffing special events that generate revenue for the city, responding during major storms, or even operating equipment for other agencies when they cannot get the job done themselves, this department continues to deliver.

Hopefully our recent arbitration decision, along with the passage of SB 445/HB 532, serves as a wake-up call that public safety professionals can no longer be undervalued while continuing to carry the weight of keeping this city running.

03/12/2026

It’s 2026, and somehow the City of Baltimore, specifically the Baltimore City Fire Department, has managed to maintain a continuous six-year streak of error-filled payrolls affecting hundreds of employees.

At what point does it stop?

10/31/2025

A Difficult Day for the Baltimore City Fire Department

October 31, 2025

Today is a sad and concerning day for the Baltimore City Fire Department and the people we serve. Multiple companies across the city are closed due to severe staffing shortages between 7 AM and 5 PM, including:
Truck 26 (Edison / Eastside),
Engine 5 (Fells Point),
Engine 13 (Bolton Hill),
Engine 14 (Fort Hollins, temporarily detailed downtown for station repairs),
Engine 55 (Pigtown),
Truck 29 (Alameda), and
Engine 46 (Hilltop / Rogers Avenue).

During the overnight hours (5 PM to 7 AM), the following companies are also out of service:
Truck 26, Engine 5, Engine 13, Engine 14, Engine 30 (Frederick Avenue), Engine 55, Engine 21 (Hampden), Truck 29, Squad 54 (Raspeburg), Engine 20 (Walbrook), Engine 46, Truck 12 (Garrison / Forest Hill),
and the following ambulances:
A25 (Kirk / 25th), A27 (Sandtown), A19 (Roland Park), A28 (Rogers Avenue), and A23 (Downtown).

What This Means for Baltimore

For citizens, businesses, and visitors, this reality means public safety resources are critically limited.
Engines bring four trained firefighters and provide water supply and attack lines to extinguish fires.
Trucks bring four trained firefighters who specialize in forcible entry, ventilation, and search and rescue.
Squads perform both suppression and technical rescue operations such as building collapse or trench rescue and carry hydraulic rescue tools.
Ambulances (ALS/BLS units) are vital for transporting patients to hospitals during medical emergencies.

With so many of these companies closed, response times will increase, and resources will come from farther away. There is no alternative. This will affect both fire and medical emergencies across Baltimore.

What This Means for Our Members

Our firefighters are already under intense scrutiny, driving under cameras, working extended hours, and responding to increasingly difficult situations. With limited staffing, Rapid Intervention Teams (RIT) will be delayed, and the chaos and risk on the fireground will increase.

This is not about sick leave abuse or membership issues, as some may claim. This is a morale crisis.
Many of our members could have volunteered for overtime today but chose not to. That choice reflects burnout, not lack of dedication. The truth is, our people are exhausted.

Despite these challenges, our members will continue to respond with professionalism, courage, and care for the citizens of Baltimore.

As this Halloween evening begins, we hope all of Baltimore’s youth and families have a fun and safe time trick-or-treating. Please be careful, look out for one another, and know that even with limited resources, your firefighters are here and ready to respond when you need us most.



Mayor Brandon M. Scott
Councilmember Zeke Cohen
Baltimore Firefighters IAFF Local 734
Baltimore Fire Officers IAFF Local 964
WMAR-2 News Baltimore
WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore
WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore
WBFF FOX 45
CNN
Fox News

03/12/2025

🗳️LEGISLATIVE UPDATE🚨

House Bill 205 (HB205) would establish a work week for firefighters in the State of Maryland of 42 hours. This would be a huge step that moves firefighters closer to their public safety peers in law enforcement and emergency medical services who work 40 hour work weeks.

Delegate Robin Grammer has single handedly halted this bill from being voted on in the House of Delegates. If you are a resident of the State of Maryland District 6, contact him and ask him why firefighters do not deserve a vote on this bill. If you are not a resident, but nonetheless support firefighters having fair work hours, contact him and let him know you support firefighters and he should too:

Delegate Robin L. Grammer, Jr.
Lowe House Office Building, Room 416
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Office: (410) 841-3298
Email: [email protected]

Baltimore County Professional Firefighters Association
Professional Fire Fighters of Maryland
Baltimore Firefighters IAFF Local 734
Baltimore Fire Officers IAFF Local 964
The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Banner

08/20/2024

10/23/2023

Viewings and Funeral for FF Rodney Pitts are as follows:

*Viewing:

Wednesday, October 25th

1400 to 1600
1800 to 2000

Thursday, October 26th

1400 to 1600
1800 to 2000

Duda Ruck Funeral Home
7922 Wise Avenue
Dundalk, MD 21222

*Funeral:

Friday, 27 October

Time: 10am with Line up at 8am in Class A dress uniform

Cathedral of Mary Our Queen
5200 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD

10/21/2023

Baltimore Fire Fighters Local 734 is raising money to benefit the children an… John Burke needs your support for Fallen Brother, EMT-Firefighter Rodney Pitts

05/08/2023

Voting starts today.

Don't forget to get out and VOTE.

Good Luck to everyone running!

Matt, Justin and Myself will not be down the Hall campaigning due to rules and guidelines set forth by the DOL which you can't campaign while on leave. If anyone has any questions please feel free to contact any of us.