OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Annapolis Public Safety Committee Meeting - January 21, 2026

City Council — Wednesday, January 21, 2026
BodyAnnapolis, Maryland
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, January 21, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:33:31

Transcript — Verbatim
0:06

Thank you.

0:06

I would like to call this public safety committee meeting to order.

0:13

Oh, we can hear us all over the place.

0:15

456 p.m.

0:18

on Wednesday, January 21st.

0:24

To my right, Alderman Smith Brown, are you here?

0:29

Present.

0:30

Thank you.

0:31

And to my left, Alderwoman Conti.

0:34

Present.

0:35

And I am here.

0:37

Thank you very much.

0:38

Do I have a motion to approve today's agenda?

0:41

I move to approve the agenda.

0:43

Second.

0:44

All in favor say aye.

0:45

Aye.

0:46

Thank you.

0:47

Motion passes.

0:49

Next up on our agenda is election of chair pursuant to city code section 2.16.120.

0:57

Are there any nominations?

0:59

I move to nominate Alderwoman Carmel O'Neill as our chair, public safety.

1:06

All in favor say aye.

1:08

Great.

1:09

Thank you so much.

1:12

Welcome to everybody that's come.

1:14

Welcome to 2026.

1:16

Thank you very much.

1:18

We um have three updates this afternoon, um, starting with Annapolis Fire Department.

1:26

If you would like to come forwards, um, introduce your crew, and we'll be getting rolling.

1:43

Good afternoon.

1:45

Doug Romaly, fire chief with me is Deputy Chief Nathan Powell.

1:51

Thank you.

1:52

Welcome.

2:01

You can go to the next presentation.

2:03

You can get started anytime you would like.

2:05

Thank you.

2:09

So the chair had asked us to uh answer three questions for this meeting today, so we'll give you a little brief.

2:14

But basically, we'll go over our goals for the next five years, how you, as the public safety committee can assist us as we move forward, and how uh to communicate between us and yourselves and what the best manner to do that is.

2:28

So, with us, this is our new mission statement for the Annapolis Fire Department.

2:32

We've just updated that this year.

2:34

But we exist to serve the citizens and residents of Annapolis by delivering prompt and professional emergency medical services, fire protection, and public safety services to safeguard the life property and the environment.

2:48

Just so you know, we are uh ISO Class One fire department, which means that a third-party insurance organization came in and has evaluated our department.

2:59

We are only one of three Class One departments in the state of Maryland and one of only 388 across the United States, and there's over 30,000 fire departments.

3:09

So we are in a high percentage of class one fire departments across the nation, and the city should be proud of that.

3:16

We operate with a 27 million dollar budget.

3:18

Uh it's basically broken down into uh this year's budget was that we do have about two million in overtime, and that's just to get us to our daily staffing every day with uh staffing concerns.

3:29

Uh we operate for just under two million dollars in a regular operating budget, and in this year's uh budget there was a 785,000 that was put in the fire department budget, which is basically facilities, it should have been with facilities maintenance, and that's going to replace boilers and two fire stations.

3:47

The 766 or 776,000 comes right off the top of our budget, and that goes to fleet services to maintain the fire department fleet, and then 52,000 is just an independent contractor.

3:59

This is the only contractual position we have.

4:01

It's our medical director.

4:03

Uh it's basically the best bang for our buck for only paying 52,000 for a medical director.

4:08

But for us to operate as an emergency medical services, we have to operate under state law.

4:13

We have to have a medical director, and that medical director is uh Dr.

4:17

Heller.

4:18

So 93% of our entire budget is all uh salaries and benefits for our personnel.

4:24

So it's very high percentage of it, is is just that.

4:28

Uh we operate with 144 full-time people, 137 of those are uniform positions, seven civilians, and as I talked about, uh we have the one contract position, which is the medical director.

4:41

Uh these are the core services that we provide throughout, as you can see them, and it's in your slide program.

4:47

It's important to note that about 75% of all emergency responses in the city of Annapolis or by our crews is for emergency medical services.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████████████████████████████████54%
Emergency Management███████████████18%
Homelessness█████████11%
Technology and Innovation█████6%
Procedural███3%
Personnel Matters███3%
Community Engagement█1%
Intergovernmental Relations█1%
Public Engagement█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Annapolis Public Safety Committee Meeting - January 21, 2026

The Public Safety Committee of the Annapolis City Council met on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, from 4:46 PM to 6:19 PM in Council Chambers. Alderwoman O'Neill was elected chair, and the committee received updates from the Fire Department, Office of Emergency Management, and Police Department, covering operational goals, staffing, funding challenges, and upcoming snowstorm preparations.

Consent Calendar

  • No consent calendar items were presented.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public provided testimony. Only council members and invited officials spoke.

Discussion Items

Annapolis Fire Department (AFD) Update

  • Chief Remaley and Deputy Chief Powell presented the department's new five-year strategic plan and mission statement. AFD is one of only three ISO Class One departments in Maryland (388 in the U.S.) and operates with a $27 million budget, 93% of which is salaries and benefits.
  • The department has 144 full-time staff (137 uniformed, 7 civilian) and responds to over 13,000 calls annually, 75% of which are emergency medical services (EMS). Minimum daily staffing is 25 firefighters plus one investigator.
  • Chief Remaley discussed the tension between national NFPA standards (recommending 4-person suppression crews) and current 3-person staffing due to budget constraints. He noted the department meets NFPA standards through an exception by sending multiple units. A peak-time EMS medic unit, currently run by a ladder crew, is needed and may eventually require a 24-hour unit. Future hiring and shift schedules are being evaluated.
  • Alderman Smith-Brown asked about mutual aid imbalances and division between leadership and the union. Chief Remaley described automatic aid agreements and stated that the department delivers prompt service regardless of jurisdiction, and that the strategic plan (developed by an outside vendor) aims to unify goals.
  • Chief Powell's retirement on February 1, 2026, was announced.

Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Update

  • Director Simmons reported that OEM is fully staffed with seven personnel for the first time in years, enabling catch-up on planning. Key planning priorities: update the Emergency Operations Plan (multi-year), Continuity of Operations Plan (short-term), and Continuity of Government Plan (short-term, including succession and backup facilities such as Pitt Moyer and 2644 Riva Road).
  • Training priorities include emergency management training for city departments, EOC operations, and call center volunteer training. OEM lost 50% of staff earlier and is rebuilding the call center volunteer pool.
  • Funding crisis: OEM received no Homeland Security/FEMA preparedness grants in fiscal 2025, marking the first time in 15 years. A $1 million earmark for Annapolis from regional grants is tied up in litigation and likely lost. OEM is financially stable only through fall 2026. The City will need to consider alternative investments.
  • Director Simmons detailed that vulnerability outreach for the coming snowstorm (90% chance >6 inches, 55% chance >12 inches) includes a special assistance roster, coordination with shelters, and connections with Naval Academy midshipmen for snow shoveling.
  • He encouraged use of the Prepare Me Annapolis app for real-time alerts.
  • Alderman Thorp requested information flow to the council for public messaging, and Simmons confirmed a media briefing on January 22 at 1:30 PM.

Annapolis Police Department (APD) Update

  • Chief Jackson reported that APD achieved full compliance with all 49 CALEA standards in its two-year remote web-based review, after prior non-compliance issues. The department's 2026 goals are based on a five-year strategic plan focusing on four core areas: community engagement, operations/public safety, investigations/support, and professional standards.
  • APD's ICE policy: officers do not enforce federal immigration law, will only act with a criminal warrant (not an immigration warrant), and will not ask about immigration status. The policy is being updated to remove any dispatcher involvement in contacting ICE. A written summary will be provided to the committee.
  • Crime statistics (homicides): 2022: 1, 2023: 9 (including 3 from the Paddington Place mass shooting), 2024: 3, 2025: 4 (three on streets, one inside a dwelling). Most homicides were interpersonal; deployments prevented retaliatory violence. The department considers Annapolis safe for walking and dining.
  • Patrol staffing: After a hiring surge, APD now has 8 officers in field training (completing first week of February), bringing patrol to full staffing for the first time. The department has 125 sworn positions with 7 vacancies remaining. A recruitment video is being used.
  • Technology priorities: an open portal for reporting environmental deficiencies (e.g., street lights) and a drone program. A civilian drone coordinator position is being hired; county drones are currently relied on but response times are a challenge.
  • Homelessness: Chief Jackson and Captain Thacker described a delicate approach, working with OEM and social services. They cannot act unless trespassing on private property with a complainant. Many homeless individuals with mental illness reject help.
  • Council presence at meetings: Chief Jackson confirmed that moving forward, one officer will be stationed inside the Council chamber and one at the metal detector downstairs, as requested by Alderwoman O'Neill.

Key Outcomes

  • Alderwoman O'Neill was elected chair of the Public Safety Committee (unanimous voice vote).
  • The committee received detailed updates on each department and discussed specific operational challenges and funding needs.
  • OEM's loss of federal grant funding was highlighted, with a request for future city investment. The committee acknowledged the financial constraints.
  • The committee will receive a written copy of APD's ICE policy.
  • Alderwoman O'Neill plans to schedule individual visits to police and fire stations (to avoid quorum issues) for deeper understanding of operations.
  • The meeting adjourned at 6:19 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. I would like to call this public safety committee meeting to order. Oh, we can hear us all over the place. 456 p.m. on Wednesday, January 21st. To my right, Alderman Smith Brown, are you here? Present. Thank you. And to my left, Alderwoman Conti. Present. And I am here. Thank you very much. Do I have a motion to approve today's agenda? I move to approve the agenda. Second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Thank you. Motion passes. Next up on our agenda is election of chair pursuant to city code section 2.16.120. Are there any nominations? I move to nominate Alderwoman Carmel O'Neill as our chair, public safety. All in favor say aye. Great. Thank you so much. Welcome to everybody that's come. Welcome to 2026. Thank you very much. We um have three updates this afternoon, um, starting with Annapolis Fire Department. If you would like to come forwards, um, introduce your crew, and we'll be getting rolling. Good afternoon. Doug Romaly, fire chief with me is Deputy Chief Nathan Powell. Thank you. Welcome. You can go to the next presentation. You can get started anytime you would like. Thank you. So the chair had asked us to uh answer three questions for this meeting today, so we'll give you a little brief. But basically, we'll go over our goals for the next five years, how you, as the public safety committee can assist us as we move forward, and how uh to communicate between us and yourselves and what the best manner to do that is. So, with us, this is our new mission statement for the Annapolis Fire Department. We've just updated that this year. But we exist to serve the citizens and residents of Annapolis by delivering prompt and professional emergency medical services, fire protection, and public safety services to safeguard the life property and the environment. Just so you know, we are uh ISO Class One fire department, which means that a third-party insurance organization came in and has evaluated our department. We are only one of three Class One departments in the state of Maryland and one of only 388 across the United States, and there's over 30,000 fire departments. So we are in a high percentage of class one fire departments across the nation, and the city should be proud of that. We operate with a 27 million dollar budget. Uh it's basically broken down into uh this year's budget was that we do have about two million in overtime, and that's just to get us to our daily staffing every day with uh staffing concerns. Uh we operate for just under two million dollars in a regular operating budget, and in this year's uh budget there was a 785,000 that was put in the fire department budget, which is basically facilities, it should have been with facilities maintenance, and that's going to replace boilers and two fire stations. The 766 or 776,000 comes right off the top of our budget, and that goes to fleet services to maintain the fire department fleet, and then 52,000 is just an independent contractor. This is the only contractual position we have.

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