The patient was assessed by the crew of Ambulance 705B and due to the nature of the injury it was felt that if spinal compromise existed it would be prudent to medevac the patient. Maryland State Police Helicopter Trouper 8 responded to location.

The patient was assessed by the Flight Medic, transferred from the ambulance to the chopper, and air evacuated to Medstar Trauma Center at the Washington Hospital Center for further evaluation.

KVFD OPPOSES AMBULANCE USER FEES -The Kensington Volunteer Fire Department is opposed to any plan to begin charging a user fee for services which this department has been providing free of charge for more than eighty-three years.

Ambulance fees impose an additional burden on County residents, and have the potential for discouraging residents, particularly the elderly and those without adequate insurance, from calling 9-1-1 in a life-threatening emergency.

By communicating your views now, before it is too late, you may be able to help prevent these fees from being slipped into the upcoming County budget by the County Executive. Please consider calling one of the following officials to express your opposition:

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett can be reached by calling 240-777-2500; or call Montgomery County Fire Chief Thomas Carr at 240-777-2400.

Previous proposals to charge an ambulance fee of $350 or more have in the past been rejected by the public and by the County Council.  However, County officials responsible for generating new revenues are once again trying to insert a fee into next year’s County budget. Such a fee has many hidden costs, that Montgomery County residents should not be willing to pay.

Please call Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and Fire Chief Thomas Carr to express your opposition to the ambulance fee proposal.

The Kensington Volunteer Fire Department thanks you for your support.

Overturned Tanker With One Ejected - Friday, August 10, 2007 - Montgomery County, Maryland Units Respond to Tanker Truck overturned on the National Capitol Beltway. On August 10, 2007, at 1930hrs, Volunteers from Kensington Volunteer Fire Dept - Co. 5, Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad - Co. 2 , Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad - Co., and MCFRS Firefighters from Bethesda Fire Department -Co. 20, were dispatched to the Outer Loop of the National Capital Beltway (Interstate 495) between Connecticut Avenue and Rockville Pike for the Motor Vehicle Crash with the report of a “Water Tanker” rolled over and one ejected. Kensington Volunteer Fire Department Chief 5 arrived to find a Combination Water Tanker/Tar Truck on its side with one ejected and unconscious. In addition the truck was leaking from its Diesel fuel Saddle tank holding 75 gallons, a completely detached water tank holding 1,000 gallons, as well as damaged “Tack Tar” tank holding 1,500 gallons of molted tar onto the roadway and into the creek below. Chief 5 requested that the Emergency Communications Center fill the Hazardous Materials assignment, bringing units from the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue HazMat team (Chevy Chase - Co. 7) to the scene. Command was established quickly and units began going to work on the truck and patient. The driver, single occupant, was quickly evaluated and transported to Suburban Hospital’s Maryland Trauma Center as a Priority 1 Multi System Trauma, by Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad Medic 22 where he remains in critical condition with life threatening injuries. Units remained on scene for over 4 hours cleaning and decontaminating the Hazardous scene with the Montgomery County, MD’s HazMat Response Team as well as the Emergency Response Team from the Maryland Department of the Environment. - Article & pictures submitted By Master Firefighter Chris Hinde

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Kensington Volunteers Run First Due House Fire - April 8, 2007 -At 0447 hours, Kensington firefighters were dispatched for a house on fire in the 3000 block of University Blvd West, box area 5-10. Engine 51, Engine 181, Engine 211, Aerial Tower 18, Ambulance 59, Chief 5, Chief 5-3 and other Montgomery County units responded. Chief 5 arrived to find a 2 story single family house with smoke showing from the roof. Engine 51 advanced a 200ft cross-lay to the side "D" door with heavy fire showing from the second floor window. Engine 51 and Wheaton Rescue Squad 28 made entry into the house finding fire on the first floor, and heavy fire on the 2^nd floor. Both crews made their way up the stairs encountering a fully involved 2^nd floor with spongy floors and multiple holes.

Engine 51’s crew made an aggressive attack on the 2^nd floor, then proceeded back to the first floor to extinguish two more rooms now well involved. E51 and Wheaton Rescue Squad 28 made a quick knock of the fire saving a majority of the structure. Chief 5 had Kensington Command, and C5-3 had Division 1. All personnel did an excellent job, and no injuries were reported.   

House Fire In Company 18's Area - March 29, 2007 - At 1638 hours, Kensington firefighters were dispatched for a house fire in the 2700 block of Sheraton Street, box area 18-06. Engine 181, Engine 211, Engine 251, Engine 51, Aerial Tower 18, Truck 25, Ambulance 258, and other Montgomery County units responded. Images courtesy NBC4.com

Kensington Volunteers Rescue 5 Children From Fire - On February 3, 2007 at 1309 hours Kensington Volunteer Firefighters responded to a house fire with five children trapped. Engine 52, with a crew of five volunteer firefighters, and Ambulance 59, also volunteer staffed, could see smoke as they approached the scene. Station 5 units were met by an excited woman in the middle of the street screaming and waving her hands towards the house, which had fire showing from the "A" & "D" corner. 

Engine 52's crew ran straight to the door, masked-up at the door and made entry.  It took Engine 52's crew about 30-60 seconds to locate the stairs to the second floor.  Smoke conditions were to the floor and personnel could not see more than 2 inches from their faces. Engine 52's officer and 3rd went to the second floor to initiate a search, while Engine 52's 4th and 5th stretched an attack line into the house to extinguish the fire. The search crew made a right turn at the top of the stairs to search the room above the fire. The room was clear, so the crew proceeded to search the bathroom and the bedrooms on the "C/D" corner and side" B" of the house.  Upon entering the room on side "B", Engine 52 personnel could hear someone screaming and advised them to continue screaming so that they could find them.  Personnel performed a left hand search and found a child standing in the corner of the room on the left side of a closet.  The child grabbed onto Engine 52's officer's head and body and was screaming that the "Babies are in the closet".  Engine 52's officer brought the child down to floor level and handed her off to a member of Chevy Chase Fire Department Engine 71's crew. 

Engine 52 continued searching the closet until they reached the opposite end and found what looked like two twin small children unconscious lying in the corner of the closet.  The officer of Engine 52 pIcked one child up and handed them off to another firefighter from Chevy Chase Engine 71's crew, then went to pick up the last child and found that their leg was stuck on the closet door.  The leg was freed and Engine 52 proceeded out of the room, down the stairs and out of the house until they were met by a paramedic, who they handed the child off to.  Engine 52 re-entered the house to continue searching.

While all of this was happening, Engine 52's driver was helping flake out hose line when he noticed a small arm waving from a second story window on side "B" of the house.  Engine 52's driver immediately threw a ground ladder to a lower roof by the window, climbed the ladder and rescued two small children from that window, all without any personal protective equipment or breathing apparatus. Engine 52's driver then proceeded to hand these children down the ladder to crews on the ground. Also, while crews were searching the house, Engine 52's second crew, their 4th and 5th firefighters, pulled a attack line to the house and aggressively attacked the fire.  If it were not for the additional two firefighters attacking the fire, it is  quite possible that the rescues on the second floor would not have been possible. The actions of Engine 52's crew demonstrate what training, aggressive tactics, a properly staffed unit, and teamwork can accomplish.

A total of five children were transported to area hospitals by EMS units. Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad Medic 10 transported a 12 year old female and a 18 month old female, both in respiratory arrest to Children's Hospital. Rockville Volunteer Fire Department Medic 239 transported a 18 month old female, also in respiratory arrest, to Children's Hospital. Kensington Volunteer Fire Department Ambulance 59 transported a 7 year old male and a 3 year old female to Holy Cross Hospital, both for smoke inhalation. All children are expected to survive and the prognosis is good.

Fire Investigators believe the fire originated in a first floor bedroom of a large 2-story brick, colonial style single family home. Damage is estimated at $450,000.