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Volunteer Firefighter, EMT, Paramedic
Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad
5020 Battery Ln
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-652-0077
Description
The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad 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. BCC volunteers gain experience at all levels of the fire-rescue service, beginning with serving as a charge EMT on an ambulance, all the way up to chief fire officer. The experience is unparalleled, and all training is provided free of charge. Our members most often describe their rescue squad experience as fun, challenging, and rewarding.
No initial experience is required. All training is provided free of charge.
No initial experience is required. All training is provided free of charge.
Volunteer Category: Firefighter, EMT, Junior Members
Requirements
Minimum age:
Junior members must have reached their 16th birthday, and not yet reached their senior year of high school.
Regular applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have completed high school.
Medical clearance:
All applicants must complete a physical prior to being cleared to ride. The physical is administered by the Montgomery County Fire/Rescue Operational Medical Services, and includes: a vision test, hearing test, chest x-ray, PPD skin test for tuberculosis, a cardiac stress test, blood tests, drug screening, and a physician exam.
Criminal background check and fingerprinting:
All applicants must undergo a state and federal criminal history check prior to joining.
Service commitment:
It typically takes 12 to 18 months to complete the probationary period and attain charge EMT status, so the minimum expected commitment is three years of membership.
TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
Many of our volunteers begin without any fire or EMS training or experience. All volunteers begin as probationary members until minimum training requirements are met. Once the probationary period is complete, volunteers may choose to gain additional training in emergency medical services, fire/rescue services, or both. All training is provided free of charge.
All volunteers begin as probationary members. The probationary period is time-intensive, as members gain experience and meet federal, state, county, and rescue squad training requirements.
ON DUTY REQUIREMENTS
The basic duty requirement:
Shortly after you join, you will be assigned to a night crew and (with one exception) will stand duty the same night each week. When assigning you, the Rescue Squad will make every effort to honor your preference for a specific night crew, but we also seek to keep the crews balanced.
Your basic duty requirement will be a 12-hour shift once a week from 7 pm until 7 am. During this period, you are at the station and responding to emergency calls. Night crew members have the same duty night every week, with the following exception: to ensure that no crew is forced to stand duty every Saturday night, we do not have a Satuday night crew. Instead, each sixth week, a "Roving" crew will take your normal duty night. You, in turn, will stand duty on Saturday night and into Sunday day. Sound confusing? Don’t worry, logistics such as this will be explained after you are accepted into the Rescue Squad.
Junior members have a shorter duty shift, from 7 pm – 11 pm on school nights. Junior Members who do not have school the next day are encouraged to spend the night at the Rescue Squad to further their experience and training.
The weekend duty requirement:
Probationary members are required to stand two 5-hour weekend duty shifts (10 hours, total) every two months. Weekend duty shifts are 8am to 1pm, and 1pm to 6pm Saturdays, Sundays, and most federal holidays. Members sign up in advance for the weekend duty shifts every two months, so they may tailor weekend duty to their schedules. Privates and above are required to stand four 5-hour weekend duty shifts each period.
Additional duties include participation in the annual open house (Rescue Day), cleanups in the spring and fall, and Christmas tree sales.
FUNDRAISING
Fundraising is the lifeblood of our organization because we do not take any direct tax money from Montgomery County. Our funds are raised from individual donors, businesses, and foundations, and are the basis of our annual operating budget. Every member for the first ten years of membership must participate in our annual fundraising drive. Every member is given a quota. It is not difficult to raise the quota but it does take additional time. For members who have been here for more than a year, there are incentive deductions. The more qualified you become, and the more emergency calls you run, the smaller your quota. Junior members do not do Fall Drive.
Junior members must have reached their 16th birthday, and not yet reached their senior year of high school.
Regular applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have completed high school.
Medical clearance:
All applicants must complete a physical prior to being cleared to ride. The physical is administered by the Montgomery County Fire/Rescue Operational Medical Services, and includes: a vision test, hearing test, chest x-ray, PPD skin test for tuberculosis, a cardiac stress test, blood tests, drug screening, and a physician exam.
Criminal background check and fingerprinting:
All applicants must undergo a state and federal criminal history check prior to joining.
Service commitment:
It typically takes 12 to 18 months to complete the probationary period and attain charge EMT status, so the minimum expected commitment is three years of membership.
TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
Many of our volunteers begin without any fire or EMS training or experience. All volunteers begin as probationary members until minimum training requirements are met. Once the probationary period is complete, volunteers may choose to gain additional training in emergency medical services, fire/rescue services, or both. All training is provided free of charge.
All volunteers begin as probationary members. The probationary period is time-intensive, as members gain experience and meet federal, state, county, and rescue squad training requirements.
ON DUTY REQUIREMENTS
The basic duty requirement:
Shortly after you join, you will be assigned to a night crew and (with one exception) will stand duty the same night each week. When assigning you, the Rescue Squad will make every effort to honor your preference for a specific night crew, but we also seek to keep the crews balanced.
Your basic duty requirement will be a 12-hour shift once a week from 7 pm until 7 am. During this period, you are at the station and responding to emergency calls. Night crew members have the same duty night every week, with the following exception: to ensure that no crew is forced to stand duty every Saturday night, we do not have a Satuday night crew. Instead, each sixth week, a "Roving" crew will take your normal duty night. You, in turn, will stand duty on Saturday night and into Sunday day. Sound confusing? Don’t worry, logistics such as this will be explained after you are accepted into the Rescue Squad.
Junior members have a shorter duty shift, from 7 pm – 11 pm on school nights. Junior Members who do not have school the next day are encouraged to spend the night at the Rescue Squad to further their experience and training.
The weekend duty requirement:
Probationary members are required to stand two 5-hour weekend duty shifts (10 hours, total) every two months. Weekend duty shifts are 8am to 1pm, and 1pm to 6pm Saturdays, Sundays, and most federal holidays. Members sign up in advance for the weekend duty shifts every two months, so they may tailor weekend duty to their schedules. Privates and above are required to stand four 5-hour weekend duty shifts each period.
Additional duties include participation in the annual open house (Rescue Day), cleanups in the spring and fall, and Christmas tree sales.
FUNDRAISING
Fundraising is the lifeblood of our organization because we do not take any direct tax money from Montgomery County. Our funds are raised from individual donors, businesses, and foundations, and are the basis of our annual operating budget. Every member for the first ten years of membership must participate in our annual fundraising drive. Every member is given a quota. It is not difficult to raise the quota but it does take additional time. For members who have been here for more than a year, there are incentive deductions. The more qualified you become, and the more emergency calls you run, the smaller your quota. Junior members do not do Fall Drive.
38.9904667
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