September 19, 2008

Rescue Squad Member and Author Fred Burton Discusses His New Book

Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent

Published by Random House

“This is a book about friendship, public service, the Rescue Squad, the Montgomery County Police Department, and growing up in this town,” began Fred Burton at his July 15 lecture and book signing at the Barnes and Noble bookstore in Bethesda. Burton spoke again on July 16 at a special get-together at the Rescue Squad to thank some of its generous donors. In a wide-ranging and poignant talk that took the listener from Bethesda to the capitals of the globe, this Rescue Squad life member reflected on a career dedicated to saving lives and protecting the public.

Burton, who served as Deputy Chief of the Diplomatic Security Service, the Department of State’s Counterterrorism Division, has spent decades hunting down some of the world’s most notorious terrorists. His memoir describes the largely unseen threats posed by world-wide terrorism, as well as its tragic effects on the United States. He describes the day-to-day work of a counterterrorism agent and the investigations into some notable terrorist attacks of the 1980s and '90s. His talk revealed passion for his work, as well as compassion for those affected. “I tried to tell the story from the perspective of the victims,” he stated, “while also depicting the pressure that’s placed on the DSS agents.”

Despite the international nature of his work, a constant theme running through Burton’s life is the importance of community and the ties of friendship. Indeed, Burton grew up just blocks from the scene of his talk–he recalled walking regularly along a gravel road that ran from Bethesda Avenue to his home a few blocks away.

Burton began volunteering with the Rescue Squad at the age of 17 and rose to the rank of Assistant Chief. His book pays special tribute to the friendships and institutions in the Bethesda community that influenced the course of his life. “We’re all a product of our family and our friends. You all helped me get where I am,” he said to an audience containing many Rescue Squad members with whom he had volunteered, as well as volunteers who are active today and came to listen to a Squad member tell his story.

Burton’s book also touches on several interesting calls he ran as a Squad member. Some of the incidents will revive iconic memories in the minds of long-time D.C.-area residents–such as the January 1982 crash of an Air Florida jet into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington and a 1982 shooting (with three fatalities and numerous other injured) at the IBM building in Bethesda–an incident that kept Rescue Squad units on the scene for several hours while a disgruntled employee with a rifle roamed the building. Burton eventually became a Montgomery County Police Officer, then joined the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, becoming their expert on terrorism originating in the Middle-East.

Burton is currently Vice President for Counterterrorism and Corporate Security for Stratfor. Ghost was released this summer by Random House.

About the Rescue Squad

Now in its 68th year, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad (BCCRS) is a community-supported non-profit organization that provides, at no charge to the recipient, professional emergency medical, ambulance, rescue, and fire services to the Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Maryland area, as well as upper Northwest Washington, D.C. Thanks to the generous donations of the community, the efforts of 150 professionally trained volunteers, and a staff of daytime employees, BCCRS has evolved into one of the nation's most advanced rescue squads, providing compassionate, life-saving services to the community.

BCCRS does not receive regular budgeted funds from any government. Instead, BCCRS raises almost all of its $1.9 million operating budget from individual donors, foundations, businesses, and occasional state and federal grants. BCCRS is registered under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions to BCCRS are tax-deductible as allowable by law.

For information on volunteering with BCCRS, call the membership hotline at 301-657-5557, email us at membership@bccrs.org , or visit www.bccrs.org . BCCRS welcomes new volunteers year-round. No experience is necessary, and volunteers receive free professional training as well as annual physicals.

BCCRS’s fleet includes 7 ambulance/medic units, 2 heavy rescue squads, 2 air support units for refilling firefighters’ breathing apparatus at fire scenes, and various command and utility vehicles. BCCRS responds on all types of emergency incidents, including injuries, illnesses, heart attacks, vehicle collisions, and house fires.

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