Bethesda Chevy Chase Rescue Squad (BCCRS) provides an opportunity to be part of the fire and EMS community, respond to 911 emergencies, and provide fire, rescue, and emergency medical services in a major metropolitan environment. BCCRS volunteers gain experience at all levels of the fire-rescue service, beginning with serving as a charge EMT on an ambulance, paramedic, firefighter and fire supervisor all the way through the ranks to a chief fire officer. The experience is unparalleled, and all training through BCCRS and Montgomery County is provided free of charge. Our members most often describe their BCCRS experience as fun, challenging, and rewarding and living up to our slogan of “the experience of a lifetime.”

In order to apply and begin volunteering at BCCRS, you need to be at least 16 years old by June 1, 2026. If you are between 16 and 18 years old, you are considered a Junior Member. Some duty requirements and expectations are different for Junior Members than adult members who join at age 18 or greater.  However, Junior Members are expected to accept significant responsibility and an important part of the organization.  They are able to progress through Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) class, Firefighter 1 and 2 for those that are interested in fire and rescue qualifications before turning 18. Qualifications earned are eligible for national certification and taught to recognized national standards. 

Application Timeline and Expectations

April 1: Application Window opens for new Junior Members. Parental permission/waiver of liability forms must be completed with the application.

April 1 through May 1: On a rolling basis, phone screenings will be conducted with select Junior Member applicants; some applicants will then be invited for a station ride-along.

May 1: Application Window closes

May 1 – June 1: Panel interviews will be conducted with select Junior Member applicants after completion of station ride-along.   Not all applicants will receive an interview.

No later than June 5: Accepted Junior Members will be notified.  At this time, accepted Junior Members will be invited to schedule their physical and background check with the County.  Scheduling delays vary, but the applicant must have availability during mid-June to mid-July in order to complete a physical to be cleared before the orientation program begins.  

August/September: Once Junior Members have been cleared to ride by Montgomery County, they will be expected to complete on-line training and attend a 1-day orientation known as “Probationary Class” at BCCRS which includes essential training.  After successful completion of the orientation, they will be accepted as Junior Members and can start riding with their night crews.

**All Junior Members will be expected to staff BCCRS’s annual Christmas Tree Sale which runs between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Details will be provided at a later date.

**Junior Members will be expected to enroll in a Fall 2026 Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) class and a Maryland EMT class that starts in either August 2026 or January 2027 depending on the timing of clearances, course closing dates and the Junior Member’s schedule.  There are also commercially available EMT class options available but BCCRS is unable to fund those and if a member chooses that option would be at their own expense.  Additionally, classes taken outside of Maryland (even when they include National Registry certification) require some additional classwork in Maryland once the EMT training is completed.  We can provide basic information on some of those options to anyone who is interested.

Minimum Qualifications

1. In order to apply, Junior members must have reached their 16th birthday, and not yet reached the second semester of their junior year of high school.  The applicant must be 16 years old by June 1, 2026.  
2. Once invited to join BCCRS, Junior members must obtain medical clearance by the Montgomery County Fire/Rescue Operational Medical Service (FROMS). FROMS administers a comprehensive physical examination including a vision test, hearing test, chest x-ray, tuberculosis screening, cardiac stress test, blood tests, and drug screening. 
3. Fingerprinting for the purpose of a criminal background check and inquiries to determine suitability of the applicant for a position of trust in BCCRS and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service. In addition, junior members must have a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) or better to be considered for membership and must agree to maintain a 2.0 GPA, or better, during junior membership.
4. Possess a strong desire to participate in a time-intensive “after-school” activity during their junior and senior high school years. Note:  Training and certifications earned as a junior member carry over to regular membership, however, not all junior members continue on as adult members.
5. Junior members must have a strong desire to participate in a demanding and rewarding extra-curricular activity during their junior and senior years of high school that will reduce their time for other traditional school activities.  They must be able to prioritize their time commitments so that they adequately address school and family responsibilities. 
6. Junior Members must have exceptional drive to continually better themselves and work to achieve high standards in a group of peers driven to maintain excellence in life-saving community service. 

Training

No initial experience is required. All training through BCCRS and Montgomery County is provided free of charge, including:

• CPR – all members re-certify annually in “High Performance CPR”
• Emergency Medical Technician – all members become Maryland-state certified EMTs
• FEMA On-Line training – all members are trained in national incident management and integrated emergency command

After completing the basic training, Junior Members can pursue advanced training in:

• Emergency vehicle operations – learn to drive the ambulance and heavy rescue apparatus (must be 19 years of age)
• Firefighting – training includes fire ground operations, fire suppression, and search and rescue
• International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) – specialized training in emergency trauma care
• Technical rescue training – including auto extrication, rope rescue, and swift water rescue

Duty Requirements

The night crew duty requirement is one 4-hour shift per week from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m. that normally occurs on the same night of the week.  Once every six weeks, your crew will have Saturday night duty instead of its regular night.  There are exceptions for the “Roving” crew, Friday crew, and Sunday crew. These will be explained to you during the interview process.  Duty nights are an essential part of the junior member program since station, training, housework, and responding to emergency calls are all important experiences.  Junior members are also expected to complete the overnight shift when they do not have school the following day. Junior Members will be given an opportunity to rank their top 3 choices for night crew assignment.  While we make best efforts to accommodate requests, BCCRS does not guarantee that every Junior Member is offered a spot on their desired night crew. The Junior Membership program is an intense commitment and we expect you will be assigned to the same night crew during the length of your Junior Membership. 

Participation in 911 Emergency Calls

Junior members will be assigned to an ambulance crew on their very first duty night and will begin to run calls. Initially, this responsibility is as an observer acting only when under strict supervision and with explicit instructions from a fully certified crew member.   Knowing where equipment is stored and being able to retrieve it is not a certified skill, but provides value to the trained crew members on an ambulance.   You will also learn how to handle some skills that are direct patient care such as working as part of a team performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).  We will train you in these skills but you need to accept the importance and seriousness of your role.  

It is also important for junior members, and parents, to understand that strict medical confidentiality is critical to patient care and is tightly regulated.  Junior members may respond to or participate in care on calls for people they know including classmates, employers, neighbors, etc. and they need to be able to maintain complete confidentiality about the calls they respond to, the circumstances, treatment, patient history, etc. in accordance with BCCRS, County, State and Federal regulations including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).  BCCRS will provide training and guidance in how to handle these confidential interactions, but it is a critical requirement that starts on the very first call.  We know this can be a new burden for a high school student if they know the individuals involved. For example, an emergency response and patient transport for an injured football player during a football game at their school, or a rival school, so we think it is critical to begin setting expectations for this important requirement in the very beginning of the process. 

What Happens After I Graduate?

Junior members who have achieved their charge EMT status will be contacted by the Membership Chair upon becoming 18 years old and graduating high school.  These junior members will be accepted into Active (adult) Membership as long as their post-high school plans are consistent with BCCRS membership requirements and they have performed well as a Junior Member.  There are options available for members to attend college away from the Washington D.C. area, as long as long-term plans are to return. This is an open discussion and there are few absolutes with the possible exception of matriculation to military academies and direct admission programs to medical school.

Some Junior Members may not have been able to complete their Charge EMT status while a Junior Member.  The Membership Chairman will evaluate each case individually, however, the general rule is that if these individuals are moving on to college, which almost all do, it is best for them to move on to other pursuits and rejoin BCCRS after college should they still have the desire to participate in volunteer service.