About 20 ranking officers at Harford County volunteer fire stations lost those ranks after failing to submit new required certifications July 1.
Roughly 200 officers completed their certifications on time, said Rich Gardiner, a spokesman for the Harford County Volunteer Fire & EMS Association. He declined to release the names of those who did not qualify. The certifications requirement was first announced five years ago, touted as an effort to make training at the departments more uniform. The firefighters who did not submit their certifications can still respond to calls, but cannot hold ranks such as chief, captain or lieutenant until they qualify under the new standards, Gardiner said.