A controversial plan to restructure the Prince George’s County Fire Commission was put on hold Tuesday to allow for more time to reach a compromise.

The plan, outlined in an executive order and a bill submitted to the council by County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) last month, would change the role and composition of the commission, which currently has nine members elected by the county’s volunteer stations and controls about $12 million of the county’s fire/EMS budget.

Under the proposal, members would be appointed by the county executive, as is standard for other commissions in the county, and would serve as advisers to the fire chief, who would have authority over the budget. Commission members would also be required to live in the county, which is not currently a requirement.

Baker’s staff said Tuesday it would rescind the executive order and asked the council to hold the bill for 60 days to allow more time for discussion between the administration and firefighters.

“The fire chief has advised the county executive that due to the tremendous efforts of our volunteers … they should be given an additional opportunity to come to a consensus on this reorganization, ” Brad Frome, Baker’s deputy chief of staff, told the council Tuesday.

A new executive order that maintains the residency requirement and changes to the appointment process but does not revoke the commission's authority over the $12 million in budget funds, was to be introduced Tuesday afternoon, Frome said. That order would not go into effect until March 1, which the administration feels is ample time to reach a compromise and alter the legislation as needed.

Council members praised the administration’s willingness to take more time to discuss the proposal.

Councilman Will Campos (D-Dist. 2) of Hyattsville, who met with stakeholders over the past week and tried unsuccessfully to broker an agreement, warned Tuesday that he was prepared to resubmit the legislation as-is in January “as incentive to work something out.”

Charles Walker, vice president of the Prince George’s County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association, said he was happy there would be more time to discuss the issue and expected some sort of agreement to be reached.

The submitted plan drew fierce criticism from volunteer firefighters and members of the County Council at an Oct. 12 meeting of the Public Safety and Fiscal Management Committee, which is made up of council members.

With Oct. 18 being the last day that legislation could be introduced in the council if it is to pass this year, the committee voted to move the proposal to the full council with no recommendation, which allowed council members to meet with volunteers and try to make the plan more to their liking.

“I have an issue with the position Mr. Baker has put us in,” Campos said at last week’s hearing. “It’s very concerning.”

Baker’s staff defended the proposal at the hearing.

“This is in no way an attack on the volunteer service,” Kerry Watson, Baker’s liaison to the council, told the committee Oct. 12. “There is no way this county can survive without active, vibrant volunteer participation.”

Fire Chief Marc Bashoor told the committee that the changes were entirely administrative and should have no effect on the work of the average firefighter.

But council members were not satisfied, citing concerns that had been raised to them by volunteer companies.

“It’s a finger right in their eye,” said Councilwoman Mary Lehman (D-Dist. 1) of Laurel. “They are left with, I believe, virtually no authority.”

Several volunteer officials testified against the bill, arguing that they had not been adequately included in discussions about reorganizing the commission and wanted to give more input.

Some county municipalities, such as Greenbelt, Berwyn Heights and New Carrollton, have opposed the legislation.

dleaderman@gazette.net