same pay scale as a police sergeant of Prince George's County including the fourth year increment. The remaining portions of the Gover contract are substantially the same as those in the Schultz contract.
Counsel for Schultz and Gover wrote to the Director of Personnel of Prince George's County on December 24, 1968, in regard to their status and received a reply dated December 27, 1968, and mailed January 10, 1969, as follows:
"This is in reply to your letter of December 24, 1968, in regard to Messrs. Aubrey A. Schultz and Robert E. Gover, Prince George's County Fire Fighters.
"The agreement between the County Commissioners of Prince George's County and the Clinton Volunteer Fire Department includes the following:
"`.... all full-time, paid firemen who meet the standards set out by the PrinceGeorge's County Merit Board and who are certified by the Personnel Director as meeting these standards, shall be County employees entitled to the provision of the County Merit System whether paid from funds of the County or funds of volunteer fire companies....' (Emphasis supplied)
"`.... all full-time, paid firemen shall be governed by Chapter I, Rules, Regulations and Procedures for Paid Fire Fighters in Prince George's County, the Personnel Ordinance *465 adopted September 7, 1962, as amended and the Merit System Rules and Regulations adopted December 31, 1963, as amended....'
"Pursuant to the foregoing, Messrs. Schultz and Gover received their appointments as full-time paid fire fighters after qualifying in the Fire Fighters' examination administered by this office under the Merit System Rules and Regulations and after being certified for appointment