Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad

Please congratulate Fiona Koye on becoming our newest emergency ambulance driver! Fiona joined BCCRS two years ago as a member of Sunday Night Crew. She serves as a charge Emergency Medical Technician, has now completed the requirements to be an EMS driver, and has started working towards becoming qualified to ride the Rescue Squad. Congratulations Fiona!

On Sunday June 14th, a bus traveling between Rosslyn, VA and New York stopping in Bethesda, came in contact with several cars and took down a telephone pole, resulting in low hanging wires and the closing of Wisconsin Avenue in both directions for several hours. RS741B evaluated the passengers on the bus. Of the 15 passengers, one was transported to the hospital to check for possible minor injuries.

This week, four members of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad were presented with MCFRS Clinician Recognition Awards for their life-saving actions during a critical incident at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda.

Congratulations to BCCRS volunteers Paramedic Captain Iana Sahadzic, EMT Lance Leverenz, and EMT Sonali Agrawal, as well as day crew Paramedic Sam Baer who was volunteering at Cabin John Park Volunteer Fire Department at the time of the call.

On February 5, the team responded to a call for an unresponsive adult patient in a vehicle. Recognizing the patient was in cardiac arrest, they moved quickly to begin high-performance CPR, deliver defibrillations, secure the patient's airway, and administer critical medications.

After 16 minutes of intense teamwork, the crew successfully restored the patient's pulse. They then initiated advanced therapies to support his blood pressure and breathing, maintaining a high level of intensive care and continuous monitoring until they arrived at Suburban Hospital. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the crew, the patient made a full recovery and was discharged home, neurologically intact, on March 15th.

Cardiac arrest calls demand focus, clinical precision, and composure under pressure. Thank you to these four clinicians for their dedication, skill, and commitment to public safety in our community.

Our 2026 Spring/Summer Newsletter is hitting the streets with plenty of good information about BCCRS Call Volume and Notable Accomplishments in Operations, Personnel, and Governance.
Link to newsletter here!
https://www.bccrs.org/bccrs-2025-spring-newsletter-is-now-available-2/

Demand for BCCRS Services Increases in 2025 – Call Volume Up 2% Over 2024 🚒🚑
BCCRS personnel responded to 8,991 calls in 2025 – an average of more than 24 alls/day – an increase 2% compared to 2024.

Among the most common type of calls:
Unconscious or decreased level of consciousness (941)
Cardiac, chest pain, and stroke emergencies (670)
Pedestrian/cyclist struck by a vehicle (52)

BCCRS by the numbers:
8,991 calls (unit responses) (2025)
125+ active volunteers (EMTs, medics, firefighters)
11 emergency response vehicles
9,000+ hours of formal training

We Can’t Do It Without Your Help!
Please consider donating and volunteering!

BCCRS 2026 Spring Newsletter is now available - Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad Share May 25 2026 BCCRS 2026 Spring Newsletter is now available Look in your mailboxes – or – download right here, right now. Our Spring Newsletter is hitting the streets with plenty of good information about Call Volume and Notable Accomplishments in Operations, Personnel, and Governance. Front...

This week, Monday Night Crew conducted drills and Squad driver training, Squad tech training, forcible entry training, vent enter search, interior search and box cribbing training for volunteer firefighters preparing to ride the Rescue Squad. Everyday is a Training Day at BCCRS.

Yesterday, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad lost one of the most consequential leaders in its history with the passing of Chief David S. Dwyer.

Chief Dwyer dedicated more than 65 years of service to BCCRS, including 25 years as Chief, 30 years on the Board of Directors, six additional years as a line officer, and more than 34 years standing active duty. His leadership extended throughout Montgomery County, where he served in numerous volunteer and county leadership positions, including the Fire and Emergency Services Commission, Montgomery County Fire Board, and as Chief of the Division of Volunteer Services for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services.

For generations of members, Dave was a mentor, teacher, and trusted advisor. He helped shape not only BCCRS, but the volunteer fire and rescue service throughout Montgomery County. His impact can be seen in the organization he helped build, the leaders he developed, and the countless lives touched through his decades of service.

We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones, as well as the many members of the fire, rescue, and EMS community who had the privilege of serving alongside him.

Rest easy, Chief.

Funeral and memorial service arrangements will be shared as they become available.

A 1949 pond search by the B-CC Rescue Squad, from the Washington Post.

BCCRS volunteers Meghan Dreger, Michelle Robinson and Noor Reese (left to right) successfully completed Montgomery County Firefighter 1 class yesterday. All with top scores (Noor was the most Top on the final which counts as the final score for the class). Also pictured is the entire class.

Fire Fighter I (FIRE 105) is a 138-hour course that contains both classroom and practical skills instruction throughout 46 3-hour sessions. Major topics covered in this course are the fire department organization, communications, the incident command system, ropes and knots, fire behavior, safety, fire prevention, personal protective equipment, fire extinguishers, respiratory protection, ventilation, hoselines, forcible entry, search and rescue procedures, and ladder and sprinkler systems. Methods of instruction include lecture, discussion, and team-focused practical exercises.

Congratulations to all!
Interested in volunteering at BCCRS and serving your community?
Learn more on our website: https://www.bccrs.org/join/

Last weekend, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad and Earleigh Heights Volunteer Fire Company co-sponsored a weekend training session taught by Mid-Atlantic Technical Rescue. The training spanned 24 hours over three days in which firefighters trained in how to extricate patients from complex heavy rescue scenarios. One session featured a cement truck on a car, with the car under a 1,200-pound tree. Other scenarios involved a bus rolled onto a car, another with a car under a bus, and a car under the end of a semi-trailer. Ten (10) members of BCCRS participated in the weekend among a total of 30+ participants. It was a unique experience that significantly improved the skills of our members learning from experts as well as the experiences of other fire/rescue organizations.

Patrick Davis recently successfully competed the Rescue Squad checkoff involving technical rope rescue skills. This is among the more complex checkoff requiring the candidate to master the skills needed for low and high angle rescues in a lead or support role. Skills include timed evolutions for victim raising, lowering, packaging, recon among many others. This was one of the last evaluations needed for Patrick to move up as a “Squad Third”. Congratulations Patrick!!!!