2006
For immediate release

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Kumar Vaswani
(301) 652-0077

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad Members Take Top Honors in Graduation Ceremony

Members of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad (BCCRS), one of the nation's most advanced and best-trained rescue squads, took top honors in Spring graduation ceremonies at the Montgomery County (Md.) Fire and Rescue Training Academy on June 30, 2006. 

Nine Rescue Squad volunteers and one member of the BCCRS day staff were recognized for completing training programs to become Paramedics, Cardiac Rescue Technicians, Emergency Medical Technicians, or Firefighters.

Rescue Squad volunteer Harriet Winner was awarded the prestigious Willa K. Little Award for being the top academic student in her Cardiac Rescue Technician (CRT) Class.   CRT certification requires 600 hours of classroom time as well as additional clinical time in a hospital setting.  CRTs are trained to treat life-threatening conditions and administer specialized drugs to patients experiencing health emergencies.   

Day staff member Katherine Elkins completed the grueling 600-hour Paramedic (EMT-P) class, which leads to the highest level of medical training for pre-hospital care providers at the Rescue Squad.   The EMT-P program includes additional skills over and above the skills learned in the CRT program.  

BCCRS volunteers were the top academic students in two Emergency Medical Technician-Basic  (EMT-B) classes.  Samer Razick and Susan Singley carried on the BCCRS tradition of academic excellence by receiving the Richard B. Thompson Award for top academic performance in their respective EMT-B classes.   EMT-B is the first level of formalized medical training required for all Rescue Squad volunteers. The training program consists of over 120 hours of classroom time coupled with additional in-hospital clinical requirements and countless hours spent riding Rescue Squad ambulances on actual emergency calls.  EMT-Bs perform a variety of skills, including patient assessment, basic life support, and use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).  

BCCRS volunteers Erin Brolly, Morgan Earnest, Elizabeth Hernandez, Wilder Leavitt, and Jarrod Lynn also completed the EMT-B training program.  In addition, BCCRS volunteer Susan Johnson completed similar training through Montgomery Community College and received her EMT-B certification.          

Rescue Squad volunteer Andrew Zuraw completed Montgomery County's rigorous Essentials of Firefighting Class.   The 120-hour firefighter's course consists of extensive classroom instruction as well as physically demanding practical training, including live firefighting exercises.  Training includes not just how to extinguish fires, but also skills needed to address a variety of emergency situations involving hazardous materials, electrical equipment, fire alarm and sprinkler systems, and many others.      

All Rescue Squad volunteers and staff  receive professional training and meet or exceed state standards before responding to emergency calls.         

Now in its 67th year, BCCRS is a community-supported non-profit organization that provides free emergency fire, rescue, and ambulance 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 direct tax funds.  Instead, BCCRS raises almost all of its $1.4 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 or email membership@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 4 medic units, 3 ambulances, 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.