Paramedic / Firefighter – Udana has been a BCCRS member since 2004. She moved into the area from N.C. after accepting a job as a biologist at NIH.

She began volunteering in 2000 with Cary Area EMS in the Raleigh suburbs and chose to continue her volunteer EMS work by joining BCCRS. Her reason for choosing BCCRS: its national recognition as a leader in volunteer recruitment and training as well as its reputation for being at the forefront of using cutting-edge equipment.

Udana began as an EMT, obtained her paramedic status at Wake Tech in N.C., and received reciprocity in Maryland. She then spent the 200+ hours of classroom, training, and testing required to become a firefighter.

Udana fills many roles around the Squad and is one of the Squad’s top call runners. She found that there is always an expectation that Rescue Squad members will provide quality service, regardless of the situation they encounter. “You always need to have a sense of urgency when responding to a call,” she says. “You never know what the situation will be when you arrive so you’ve got to be ready to do whatever is needed.”