Acts of Compassion by Firefighters Going Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

MEDIA CONTACT: Mark E. Brady, Chief Spokesperson, 240-508-7930

Two recent acts of compassion by firefighters may have been relatively obscure but speak large volumes about of the act of going above and beyond the call of duty by the individuals involved.

On the evening of June 29, firefighters/EMT’s from the Upper Marlboro Fire/EMS Station 820 responded to a motor vehicle crash near Waysons Corner in Anne Arundel County.  There were four vehicle occupants in one of the cars involved.  Two of the vehicle occupants sustained injuries that required treatment at a hospital and required transportation by ambulance.  The other two occupants were family pets, both dogs.  Because of the late hour of the crash there was no quick solution on what to do with the dogs.  Two volunteer members from Upper Marlboro took possession of the dogs and brought them back to the fire station.  The pet owners were told that the dogs were in good hands and informed where they could pick up their dogs after they were released form the hospital.  This action alone relieved the injured pet owners of the stress about the welfare of their dogs.  The dogs were provided shelter at the fire/EMS station and remained there until late the next day when the grateful owners arrived to pick them up.  “Job Well Done” to the members of the Upper Marlboro station for providing care of the pets and avoiding undue additional stress on the owners.

At about 10:00 am on Wednesday, July 3, firefighters from the Bunker Hill Fire/EMS Station 855 were alerted to a tour bus fire.  Firefighters arrived, extinguished the fire and checked on the 17 members of a church group that were on-board the bus.  No one was injured but the heat and high humidity of the day were starting to take a toll on the group.  Another bus was on the way but it would take some time to arrive.  Firefighters shuttled the stranded church group members back to the fire/EMS station where they were provided cold drinks and snacks in the air-conditioned recreation room.  The bus arrived at the station about an hour later and the grateful group was able to continue on their journey.  “Job Well Done” to all personnel involved in going above and beyond the call of duty to assist the group that had no immediate solution to their problem.  The action of the firefighters prevented undue stress and possible heat related illnesses, which would have only made a bad situation worse.

Congratulations to everyone involved in these incidents.  Your actions enhance the public image of the fire service as a whole and on each individual involved.