CUMBERLAND — Councilwoman Mary Beth Pirolozzi woke up at 3 a.m. Thursday morning to prepare for her 24-hour ride-along shift with the Cumberland Fire Department.

“I figure between the snow, the full moon and New Year’s Eve it’ll be an exciting day,” said Pirolozzi. “No matter what, it’ll be a good day and a terrific learning experience.”

Pirolozzi said the ride-along is something that she had wanted to do to educate herself as best as possible since the fire department is facing budget cuts and a possible reorganization. “I’d also like to do some time with the police department as well. Since public safety is the biggest bulk of our budget, I want to familiarize myself with their duties and responsibilities.”

Councilman Brian Grim went on an eight hour ride-along on Monday.

Pirolozzi rode along with EMTs Ken McKenzie and Geena Kile on the department’s ambulance Thursday. The snow made driving treacherous and Pirolozzi and the front-line ambulance crew were called shortly after the start of the 7 a.m. shift to respond to their first call — a car accident in the Narrows where they assisted LaVale fire and rescue.

Pirolozzi didn’t even have time to finish her orientation before responding to the call.

“It’s the only way (the council members) will see what’s going on,” said McKenzie, who added that having someone riding along didn’t slow down the ambulance crew’s work. “If things get bad, though, we may ask (Pirolozzi) to stay out of the way.”

“It’s important that we come and see firsthand what’s happening and what’s good for the citizens,” said Pirolozzi. “I’ve got no business making decisions without firsthand experience.”

Pirolozzi said that she quickly learned that the fire department’s job is very unpredictable. “You can’t ever predict what situations will arise every hour,” said Pirolozzi. “I think it’s important to understand that these are emergency situations and there’s little time to prepare.” Pirolozzi added that she would also need time to see what happens in the fire department throughout the day aside from responding to calls.

“Hopefully it’ll be an eye-opener for her,” said Buzz Davis, acting deputy chief during Pirolozzi’s ride-along and fire engine captain. “I think she’ll get a better understanding of how we operate.”

Davis said that the number of calls Pirolozzi would ride on would vary based on the weather. “It could be bad or not,” said Davis. “Bad weather usually means fewer calls because people tend to stay indoors.”

“One of the reasons I’m riding with them is they — whether it be the fire department or the police department — are front-line individuals who know the job best,” added Pirolozzi. “They are the ones that we need to rely on to help us determine how something might be better accommodated, how we might be able to address changes.

“I think this is a wonderful opportunity,” said Pirolozzi.

Contact Cory Galliher at cgalliher@times-news.com.