Montgomery Community Media

The 28-year-old Rockville man arrested April 9 and charged with spray-painting swastikas and hate-based words on the exterior of a Rockville synagogue also has been charged with setting fires at a church in Wheaton. Andrew Lemond Costas, along with 23-year-old Rebecca Matathias of Brookeville, was charged with second-degree arson, a felony, and defacing of religious […]

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) began a county-wide program Jan. 1 to give “cold responses” to certain non-life threatening emergencies. The program will be ongoing.  Under the program, emergency vehicles might not flash their lights or use sirens when responding to non-critical emergencies, like fractures. Emergency medical dispatchers would determine whether or not […]

Update: The Emergency Preparedness Class is full. A waitlist is available. Montgomery County is providing a free three-hour emergency preparedness training class on Saturday, October 19. Topics covered in the class include response to active shooter incidents, high-performance CPR, the use of tourniquets and family emergency planning. The class is recommended for age 18 and […]

A brush fire on Hermit Island, located south of Great Falls Park in the Potomac River, has been burning since last week. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) responded to the fire on Hermit Island on Friday, according to MCFRS spokesman Pete Piringer. Fifteen firefighters were on the island while others assisted nearby on […]

Residents in the Poolesville and Dickerson area, do not be alarmed when you hear loud “booms” on Thursday. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service’s Bomb Squad and Montgomery County Police Department will be conducting an explosives training at the Outdoor Shooting Range located on Elmer School Road in Dickerson. Training will take place all day […]

A fire has destroyed a Gaithersburg barbershop and brought significant damage to a number of businesses in Gaitherstowne Plaza near North Frederick Avenue and Chestnut Street. According to Pete Piringer, spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Services, more than 75 firefighters were on the scene after 5 a.m. on Tuesday responding to a fire […]

What is it like to be in a firefighter or paramedic’s shoes? Elected officials including County Executive Mark Elrich found out today as part of an exercise at the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute in College Park. Jordan Lindsay has the story.

Montgomery County firefighters quickly extinguished a fire in Derwood on Thursday afternoon. Capt. Jason Blake, the acting public information officer for Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Services, said that the fire was at a house located along Rydal Terrace. Fire officials tweeted that the fire was “primarily confined to the garage.” The cause of the fire […]

Recently retired William “Alan” Hinde served Montgomery County for 45 years. On Friday, Hinde was recognized for his commitment to fire service at the 45th Public Safety Awards Luncheon, where he won the Chief Leslie B. Thomas Community Service Award. According to Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, as a child, Hinde “sustained serious burns to […]

Montgomery County first responders were honored for acts of bravery at the 45th Annual Public Safety Award Luncheon. MCM’s Deirdre Byrne spoke with Montgomery County Police Officer Troy Melott and Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Services Capt. Chase Fabrizio about being honored: Melott was honored for peacefully responding to an armed Clarksburg High School student; […]