April 24, 2009

COMMUNITY ALERT

Beware of Fire Department Charity Scams

Learn how to donate safely to the Rescue Squad.

Local officials have recently warned residents of deceptive practices by fundraisers soliciting contributions by telephone or by going door-to-door. Some of these “fundraisers” claim to benefit firefighters or fire/rescue organizations, and some phony charities use names that closely resemble those of legitimate organizations. In one instance, phone solicitors asked for contributions on behalf of the “Montgomery County Volunteer Firemen's Association.”  Note the similarity in name to the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire/Rescue Association, which is a legitimate organization.

The Rescue Squad would like you to know the following about our fundraising practices:

• The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad does not solicit contributions by telephone.  We conduct our door-to-door fund drive from July through November–not in the spring. We do not use paid solicitors to go door-to-door or use telemarketers for our fundraising.

• The Rescue Squad is a member of the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire/Rescue Association, but does not solicit for funds through it.

• If you receive a telephone call or a visit by someone claiming to represent the Rescue Squad, and you have any doubt about the person’s identity, we encourage you to obtain as much information as possible (such as name of the individual, name of the organization, and/or the telephone number of the caller) and call the Rescue Squad dispatcher at 301-652-0077.

To read an advisory from the Montgomery County Police Department, visit:

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Apps/Police/News/NA_details.asp?NaID=4652

Further information about our fundraising:

The person at my door is asking for a donation on behalf of the Rescue Squad. How do I know he or she is legitimate?

The Rescue Squad conducts its door-to-door fund drive from July through November. We do not go door-to-door any other time of the year. All Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad personnel who go door-to-door are volunteer members of the Rescue Squad. We do not use paid solicitors to go door-to-door. All members who ask for contributions are always in full uniform and carry Rescue Squad identification. Residents of most apartments and condominiums in the Rescue Squad’s service area will receive a Fund Drive booklet in the mail during September. You should feel free to call the Rescue Squad dispatcher at 301-652-0077 for further verification of a Rescue Squad member’s identity.

How can I donate safely to the Rescue Squad?

To donate to the Rescue Squad, you may give a donation to the uniformed member who calls at your door each fall; charge your donation to your credit card or write a check, payable to BCCRS, which may be sent in the envelope in the booklet or mailing that you receive at your residence; authorize a payroll deduction through the Combined Federal Campaign (#19223); or donate on-line at www.bccrs.org . You may also call our Development Office at 301-674-5270 or send an email to development@bccrs.org to make a special donation or pledge.

How does the Rescue Squad use my donation?

The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad receives approximately $2 million in donations from residents and businesses, and in grants from community-minded organizations. Thanks to the efforts of 150 professionally trained volunteers, a daytime staff, and two Montgomery County Paramedics, the Rescue Squad leverages its donated funds into more than $4 million in services to the community. Donations to the Rescue Squad pay for the Squad’s operating, management, and capital costs so that we may continue serving the Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Upper Northwest Washington, D.C. area. The Annual Fund Drive booklet that you receive each fall contains a summary of our revenues and operating expenditures.

About the Rescue Squad

Now in its 69th year, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad is a community-supported non-profit organization that provides, at no charge to the recipient, professional fire, rescue, and emergency medical services to the Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Maryland area, as well as Upper Northwest Washington, D.C. The spirit, commitment, dedication, and operational skills of its members are the defining characteristics of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad. The Squad provides the community with the security and peace of mind that comes with emergency services that are among the best in the United States.

The Rescue Squad does not receive regular budgeted funds from any government. Instead, the Squad raises almost all of its $2 million operating budget from individual donors, foundations, businesses, and occasional state and federal grants. The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad is registered under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions to the Squad are tax-deductible as allowable by law.

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