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Our Team Amy C. Mauro, Esq. Executive Director Amy C. Mauro, Esq. is an accomplished and transformative leader who has worked on critical policy issues and strategic organizational change for twenty-five years, in both District and federal agencies and in three branches of government. Read More Chuck Bean Board Member Chuck Bean was Executive Director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments from 2012 through early 2023. He is an executive and civic leader with more than 30 years of experience in government, nonprofits and philanthropy. Read More Milton Douglas Board Member Milton Douglas retired from the DC Fire & EMS Department in 2022, after 35 years of service, at the rank of Assistant Fire Chief of Technical Services. Read More Kate Fogle Archivist Kate Fogle manages the Foundation's Virtual Exhibit, the History of the DC Fire and EMS Department in Photos, Videos, and Oral Histories, and supports the Washington, DC Fire and EMS Museum on behalf of the Foundation. Read More Olaf "Pete" Pederson Board Member Olaf P. “Pete” Pedersen, III has served on the Foundation's Board of Directors since its early days of incorporation and most recently took a lead role in the Foundation's DC Firefighters Memorial Helmet Project. Read More Tommy Wells Board Member Tommy Wells is a long-time DC resident, attorney, and public servant. Read More John A. Donnelly, Sr. Fire & EMS Chief and Honorary Co-Chair, ex officio Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly, Sr. was nominated by Mayor Muriel Bowser on September 4, 2020 to lead the 2,200 member DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. He was confirmed by the Council of the District of Columbia on December 15, 2020. Read More Larissa Bergin Board Secretary Larissa Bergin is a Partner at Jones Day. Her practice addresses the antitrust concerns arising from M&A matters, joint ventures, federal investigations, and commercial practices. Read More Lisa Fitzpatrick, MD, MPH, MPA Board Member Lisa Fitzpatrick is Founder and CEO of Grapevine Health, a digital health media company whose mission is to build trust and improve patient engagement among Medicaid patients through delivering culturally appropriate and relatable health information. Read More Carrie Kohns Board Member Carrie Kohns is the founder and CEO of strategic communications consulting firm, K&K Group, where she has been guiding political, corporate and nonprofit clients since 2018. She has more than two decades of experience in political strategy, policy development and communications management. Read More Ronald Siarnicki Board Member Ronald Siarnicki spent 24 years in the fire service as a volunteer and professional firefighter before retiring and then serving as Executive Director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation for 22 years. Read More Balchander Jayaraman Board Co-Chair Balchander Jayaraman is a recognized leader with over 18 years of emergency preparedness experience that includes evacuation and response plan development, Continuity of Operations planning, resilience assessment, HSEEP compliant exercise and scenario design and training, evacuation map creation, and program and project management. He is an effective consensus builder who has successfully worked with business leaders, government officials, advocacy groups, and community based organizations to generate support for innovative approaches to emergency preparedness planning. Read More Steve Blivess Board Treasurer Steve Blivess is Chief Legal Counsel for Frederick County Public Schools. Blivess has spent the past 20 years as an attorney and labor relations professional with experience in litigation, as counsel to government executives, Fortune 500 corporations, family-owned businesses and individuals. Read More David Hoagland President, Local 36 of the IAFF and Board Member David Hoagland is President of Local 36 of the International Associated of Fire Fighters, representing over 2,000 members of the DC Fire & EMS Department. He is currently a Lieutenant and was most recently assigned to Engine 9 in the Adams Morgan/U Street neighborhood. Read More Renee McPhatter Board Member Renee McPhatter is proud Ward 7 resident who has lived in the District of Columbia for over 30 years. She is Associate Vice President for Government and Community Relations at George Washington University. Read More John Sollers Board Member John Sollers retired from the DC Fire & EMS Department in 2021 at the rank of Assistant Fire Chief. During his 35 years with the Department, he specialized in special operations, incident command and response to technical rescue and hazardous materials incidents, logistics and facilities, fleet maintenance, program management, emergency planning, operational readiness, and instructing and training and motivating team members. Read More

Foundation In The Media Part of the Foundation's mission is to educate the community about the life-saving mission of the DC Fire & Emergency Medical Services Department. These stories do that and more, bringing you closer to the every day lives of our first responders and the Foundation that supports them. Read Executive Director Amy C. Mauro, Esq.'s Testimony advocating that capital funds for a new Training Academy campus and fleet maintenance facility stay in the Department's FY 26 budget. Fire Department Adviser Ignited Change Behind the Scenes Read this Washington Post profile of Foundation Executive Director Amy Mauro and learn how her eight years as Department Chief of Staff watching first responders save lives with more resources motivated her to revive and grow the Foundation. Photo Credit: Clarence Williams, Washington Post Alert Medic 1 Podcast: Managing Crisis: Leadership Pearls with Amy Mauro, Organizational Change Consultant and Executive Director, DC Fire & EMS Foundation Listen to this episode of the Alert Medic 1 podcast and hear about the innovative work of the DC Fire & EMS Department and the journey that its senior leaders and rank and file personnel took to get there. Capitals and Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation Celebrate Organization’s 50th Anniversary with $50,000 Donation to the DC Fire & EMS Foundation Funding also Benefits Nine Other Community Partners Whose Efforts Touch the Region’s Military, Youth Hockey, Hockey Fights Cancer/Health and Wellness and First Responder Communities, including the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation Executive Director Amy Mauro with MSE Foundation Executive Director Liz Pace, MSE CEO Ted Leonsis, and other grantees Watch Executive Director Amy C. Mauro's Overbeck Lecture: Evolution of DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services - Through the Decades Focusing on Capitol Hill Fires. Holiday Fire Safety Tips + The 2025 Firehouse Decorating Contest Winner! Read this Washington Post article about the Foundation's virtual exhibit, A History of the DC Fire and EMS Department in Photos, Videos, and Oral Histories (at https://www.dcfireemshistory.org/). (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post) Tears Flow at a Poignant Figure Skating Event in Washington, DC (Nick Wass/AP Photo) How a Therapy Dog Helps First Responders After Potomac Crash Tragedy Washingtonian Magazine: Figure Skating Event to Honor Lives Lost in DCA Plane Crash "Legacy on Ice," March 2 at Capital One Arena, will also pay tribute to the first responders. John Walton, Voice of the Caps, Visits Engine 26 Listen to this episode of Caps This Morning with John Walton , where John shares his perspective on the importance of the work of the Foundation, as well as his time spent with members of Engine 26 and Truck 15 in Brookland. Laughter Saves Lives Watch Foundation Executive Director Amy Mauro talk to retired FDNY Firefighter John Larocchia of Laughter Saves Lives about why she and the Board of Directors revived the Foundation in May 2023. Laughter Saves Lives honors Larocchia's FDNY colleagues who were killed on 9/11. WTOP Story on Ambulance Wait Times at Hospitals What are hospital drop times and why should you care? Find out from this story , which explains that decreasing hospital drop times would increase the level and availability of life-saving resources in DC neighborhoods.

< Back Ronald Siarnicki Board Member Ron began his career as a firefighter with the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department in 1978 and, over 24 years, progressed through the ranks to Chief of the Department. In this position, he served as the Chief Executive Officer responsible for the fire, rescue and emergency medical services of Prince George’s County, Maryland. While with the Department, he also served on the Joint Fire and Police Pension Board for four years. Prior to joining the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department, he served as a volunteer firefighter with the Monessen Volunteer Fire Department, Hose House #2 , in western Pennsylvania. In doing so, he followed a family tradition-both his father and grandfather were volunteer firefighters. In July 2001, he retired from the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department to take the position of Executive Director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF). In recognition of his outstanding leadership with the NFFF and the fire service as a whole, he has been recognized by various groups and organizations to include: The Fire Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award, Alan Brunacini Fire Services Executive Safety Award from the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Metropolitan Fire Chiefs’ Presidents Award of Distinction, University of Maryland, University College Distinguished Alumnus, American Burn Association’s Moncrief Award and the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Silver Medal of Valor. A strong proponent of higher education, he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) and served as a UMUC faculty member for the Fire Science Curriculum.

< Back Carrie Kohns Board Member Carrie’s career includes notable roles serving prominent political figures. Most recently, Carrie served as Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications to Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C., where she played a key role in shaping the mayor's messaging and media strategy. For seven years, she was the Chief of Staff to Congresswoman Karen Bass, now Mayor of Los Angeles, where she managed communications, policy and strategic initiatives to steer Bass’ agenda on the national stage. Prior to this, Carrie served as Chief of Staff and Communications Director for Mayor Adrian Fenty in Washington, D.C. Her leadership in these high-pressure environments allowed her to shape major public policy and communications strategies. Previously, Carrie served as the Washington Director and Communications Director for Rep. Loretta Sanchez, running her Capitol Hill operation, handling media relations and legislative initiatives. Carrie grew up in Washington, DC and lives in Ward 4 with her husband, a Metropolitan Police Department Officer, and her son.

Contact us with questions, support, donations, or feedback about the DC Fire & EMS Foundation. The Foundation's Address: 122 Kentucky Ave, SE Washington, DC 20003 CONTACT US Name Email Subject Message Submit Thanks for submitting! Join our mailing list Email* Subscribe I want to subscribe to your mailing list.

DC Fire & EMS Foundation supports the Department and its heroic members with resources for training, employee wellness and recognition initiatives, and state of the art equipment and facilities. How Your Investment Helps The DC Fire & EMS Foundation raises funds to support first responder wellness and recognition, training and leadership development, innovation, facilities and equipment. It also educates the community about the Department's life-saving mission. 93% of the Department's budget funds operations, leaving only 1% of the non-personnel budget for training and less than 2% for non-capital equipment and facilities maintenance. The Foundation supplements the Department's needs that are not included in its municipal budget. First Responder Wellness and Recognition Firefighters and EMS personnel are at increased risk for cardiac conditions, infectious disease, cancer, mental illness, and substance abuse. The daily and cumulative stress and sacrifice of their jobs takes its toll. The DC Fire & EMS Foundation supports the safety and well being of DC Fire & EMS employees and their families through an emergency fund for those in health crises. It supports the Department's peer support team, provides wellness programming, and sponsors the Department's Annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner. Training & Leadership Development Strong leadership has been key to the Department’s recent progress. Through its work with the Department’s Women’s Advisory Council (WAC), the Foundation co-sponsored the Heroes Haven wellness and leadership event for female firefighters, as well as the annual Camp Spark!, a two-day summer camp for girls aged 12 to 17 years old who are interested in becoming firefighters and EMS providers. In 2025, the Foundation funded an executive coach to work with the Fire Chief and his executive leadership team to facilitate teamwork, individual growth, and a solid leadership bench for the future of the agency. Innovation The Foundation funds research to further its vision to empower the Department to continue to be a national leader in each of its disciplines. We have funded EMS internships in the Office of the Medical Director for two summers. In 2025, in partnership with Children's National Hospital and the Doris Duke Foundation, the interns conducted research on racial equity in the treatment of pain, STEMI (heart attack) care and coordination with hospitals, buprenorphine induction for opioid overdose patients, and mental health treatment. Community Education Every spring, the Foundation’s Executive Director, Amy Mauro, testifies about the Department’s proposed budget. Underfunding of the Department in the past risked the public’s and firefighters’ safety, and we advocate to ensure we never return to those days. The Foundation also works on projects that educate the community on the Department's life-saving mission, its history, and its members' sacrifice, Examples of this work include the Foundation's grant-funded website https://www.dcfireem shistory.org/ The Memorial Helmet Project, and The 100th Anniversary of the Last Run of the Horses Equipment & Facilities Most DC Fire & EMS personnel work 24 hour shifts out of fire houses that serve as their workplace and home. Their facility needs are unique compared to other DC agencies. The Department's Training Academy campus is outdated for the Department's current operations and is in need of significant modernization and repair. The DC Fire & EMS Foundation advocates for providing personnel with state of the art equipment and facilities so that they can provide the best service commensurate with the high priority Departmental mission of saving lives.

DC Firefighters Memorial Helmet Project The DC Fire & EMS Department has lost 102 firefighters in the line of duty since 1856. The DC Firefighters Memorial Helmet Project memorializes every DC firefighter who died in the line of duty with the installation of memorial helmets and plaques on streetlights at the locations of their ultimate sacrifice. You can read their stories here. To see a map of the locations, click on the LODD Locations box here. See media coverage about the project here . We also support the DC Fallen Firefighters’ Memorial Project , which is dedicated to erecting a permanent memorial in honor of the Firefighters’ lives that have been lost in the line of duty. This project is a partnership between: Roll of Honor: the members of the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department who made the supreme sacrifice in their service to the citizens of the District of Columbia. 1800s John G. Anderson March 20, 1856 Benjamin C. Grenup May 6, 1856 Thomas H. Robinson February 15, 1877 Joseph Daniels August 18, 1882 Thomas R. Newman February 20, 1891 Zedock Williams December 12, 1893 Samuel E. Mastin July 25, 1894 Michael R. Fenton July 25, 1894 Dennis O'Donoghue July 25, 1894 Thomas J. Martin June 3, 1895 Thomas A. Griffen May 18, 1896 Daniel Conway May 18, 1896 George W. Kettler May 18, 1896 George H. Giles May 18, 1896 Joseph Mulhall May 18, 1896 John G. Angell August 12, 1896 John A. Merriman March 4, 1897 1900s Martin J. Niland July 2, 1900 Charles A. Keefe February 7, 1901 Arthur H. Gibbons October 15, 1904 Simon A. McLane June 1, 1905 Joseph H. McGinnis November 15, 1905 William T. Belt December 13, 1908 Francis M. Smith January 10, 1909 1910s William Caton February 14, 1910 Stewart K. Rosenberger July 27, 1910 Lee Beall June 17, 1911 Michael A. Downes October 14, 1911 Timothy J. Brown October 14, 1911 Fred Koch November 10, 1916 Charles A.E. Watt December 18, 1916 Simon F. Holohan December 28, 1917 William H. Richards October 11, 1918 Frank O. Markward October 12, 1918 William T. Byram October 15, 1918 Frederick W. Cheeney October 18, 1918 Thomas A. Bianco October 23, 1918 John F. Farr December 29, 1918 Charles B. Proctor December 29, 1918 1920s James L. Mann August 27, 1925 Edward F. Laughton March 2, 1926 James Mowatt March 18, 1927 Harry L. Stout June 22, 1927 Samuel L. Gallahan July 26, 1927 Albert J. Greiner October 27, 1928 1930s Harry W. Swann May 26, 1930 Peter R. Davis June 13, 1930 John H. Virnstein July 5, 1931 Maurice P. Corbett February 19, 1932 Robert G. Anderson February 23, 1933 Myron W. Thayer October 18, 1934 Patrick J. Sullivan December 18, 1934 Albert F. Gavreau November 29, 1936 William H. Hill December 3, 1936 Vernon C. Richardson March 10, 1937 Walter W. Imboden March 29, 1938 Twyman S. Jones April 11, 1938 Charles E. Schrom February 27, 1939 Gilbert W. Fletcher January 16, 1937 George N. Haller April 5, 1939 Samuel T. Walters July 30, 1939 1940s Raymond E. Oden July 28, 1943 John R. Gray October 4, 1940 Everett L. Owens July 28, 1943 Thomas S. Baber December 6, 1944 Dewey W. Neill December 24, 1944 Maurice T. Hizer February 11, 1945 William E. Caton November 2, 1943 Earl O. Negley December 27, 1946 Lloyd A. Irwin December 4, 1947 Leon M. Nevitt December 30, 1947 Edward G. Williams August 15, 1949 Joseph A. Carter, Jr. July 4, 1944 Albert E. Mitchener September 29, 1947 1950s Ernest W. Howard May 4, 1950 Preston T. Garrison April 21, 1955 Allen Lewis September 20, 1952 Albert M. Hazel March 15, 1956 Barton M. Ewers November 2, 1954 William W. Hoeke July 19, 1957 Millard F. Coxen December 19, 1954 George R. Flaherty February 24, 1955 1960s James B. Curtin October 30, 1960 Joseph I. Looney November 13, 1961 William E. Schaffner March 21, 1962 Charles M. Chamberlin March 1, 1965 Eugene B. Davis April 29, 1965 1970s Earl C. Kite January 7, 1970 Joseph R. Criscuolo October 20, 1970 Vance T. Bartley February 15, 1971 Maurice T. Turner June 26, 1971 Hunter L. Vaughan November 21, 1976 1980s Calvin L. Steve November 23, 1983 John T. Williams December 19, 1984 Clifford R. Oliver December 1, 1987 1990s John M. Carter October 24, 1997 Anthony S. Phillips, Sr. May 30, 1999 Louis J. Matthews May 31, 1999 Costello N. Robinson July 9, 1999 2000s James McRae, III July 7, 2007 2010s Kevin A.McRae May 6, 2015 Alex D. Graham October 27, 2019

2025 Awards Ceremony and Dinner The DC Fire & EMS Foundation co-hosted the 2025 DC Fire and EMS Department Awards Ceremony and Dinner on April 10, 2025. Thank you to our sponsors and donors who helped make this amazing night happen! Contact us for information on how to become a sponsor at the 2026 ceremony! Thank You to Our Sponsors See the full Photo Album here and the full ceremony here . Photos by Lexi Critchett and Valerie Freeman Guest MCs Brian Mitchell and Fred Smoot with Foundation ED Amy Mauro Fire Chief John Donnelly with Councilmember Brooke Pinto ...and Local 36 President Dave Hoagland, Deputy COS Alexis Squire Guest MCs Brian Mitchell and Fred Smoot Council Chairman Phil Mendelson MC Lieutenant Keishea Jackson MC Captain Jordan Wiley Guest MC Kevin Grevey Family of Lieutenant Robert Heaney DCFD Pipes and Drums DCFD Honor Guard Foundation Executive Director Amy Mauro Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly Regina Snead, Baby Einstein Child Development Center Director honoring gas explosion first responders DCFD Pipes and Drums Company of the Year: Rescue Squad 2 Toddler accident survivor and her parents greeting her first responders Toddler accident survivor with her Childrens Hospital caregivers Honored for a cardiac arrest save Employees of the Year, including Administrative, Firefighter, Paramedic, and Officer. Administrative Units of the Year: Property Maintenance and Logistics Divisions Honoring the 67 Souls Lost on 1/29/25 Anthony Chappelle with his life savers Kay Bennett with her life savers Firefighter, Paramedic, and Officer of the Year Retired Assistant Fire Chief James Hanson

St. Dominics Catholic Church, 630 E Street, SW, site of Capt. Brown's funeral

< Back Renee McPhatter Board Member Earlier in her career, Renee worked for D.C. Councilmember Kathy Patterson as the staff director for the D.C. Council Committee on Judiciary. In that role, she worked on issues pertaining to the Fire and EMS department. Renee also held other positions in the District government including serving as Deputy Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs for former D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, and General Counsel for the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services. Renee earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her law degree from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law.

DC Fire & EMS is aggressive about fighting and preventing fires. The Dept meets national standards for response times and fire suppression and has a robust community fire prevention and education program. #DC'S BRAVEST DC residents and businesses can count on #DC's Bravest to be there quickly to save lives and property. DC Firefighters arrive at fire scenes in 5 minutes and 20 seconds or less over 90% of the time , making them national leaders in meeting National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards. They also confine fires to the room of origin over 80% of the time, And they confine fires to the structure of origin over 95% of the time. Preventing Fire Fatalities Despite DC's Bravest's excellent record rescuing fire victims and preserving property, each year the District loses too many lives to fires, with an uptick in fire fatalities over the last few years. DC Fire & EMS works with the community to prevent these tragedies with its All Hands on Prevention and other programs. The Department has a strong Fire Prevention Division that on an annual basis conducts over 12,000 building inspections, investigates almost 200 arsons, installs over 3,000 smoke alarms, and conducts hundreds of fire safety education sessions for kids, seniors, and other residents and business owners. Learn More Learn More Safe Staffing D C Fire & EMS is fortunate to have the NFPA recommend ed staffing levels on its fire appara tus . While this staffing has been redu ced in other jurisdictions, as well as in DC during economic downturns in the past, DC fully staffs its apparatus. T he DC Fire & EMS Foundation supports maintaining current staffing levels for the safety of our firefighters and residents.