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The story of the DC Fire & EMS Department is the story of how financial and political investment saves lives. DC's cardiac arrest survival rate is now one of the highest in the nation . During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, DC was the only major city that did not leave fire and EMS units unstaffed. It has not always been this way. In 2015, the Department routinely ran out of ambulances, its appar atus broke down, its members received little training, and the District's cardiac arrest save rate was half the national average. On January 6, 2021 , the Department mobilized over 200 first responders and sufficient reserve apparatus to rescue patients and assist law enforcement with protecting democracy at the U.S. Capitol. View DC Fire & EMS Jan 6 Documentary Here Trailer Protect our progress. We cannot take for granted how far we have come. And there is more work to be done to save more lives, and to keep our first responders safe and healthy. During these uncertain economic times, we must be diligent in protecting our progress and keeping it going. Seal the deal. First responders “represent an ideal. An assurance by society, backed by money, that human lives are sacred and will be saved anywhere and everywhere they’re in danger. Society has often shrugged its burden and reneged on the deal…But it’s always been there.” -- Kevin Hazzard , American Sirens

< Back Steve Blivess Board Treasurer Before focusing his efforts on labor relations, Steve worked as an attorney in multiple capacities. While with the D.C. Office of Risk Management, he served as acting general counsel and provided guidance to the chief risk officer for the District of Columbia. He was an assistant attorney general with the D.C. Office of the Attorney General where he represented the District in contract cases before the D.C. Contract Appeals Board and the D.C. Superior Court. He also spent nine years in private practice and as an assistant corporation counsel in New York City. For five years, he worked as an adjunct professor at The George Washington School of Law where he taught legal research and writing. For the last seven years, Steve has worked in legal and labor relations, including four years as the senior labor relations specialist for the District of Columbia and assistant attorney general for D.C. Fire and Emergency Services. He then worked for the Montgomery County Government as a labor relations manager and acting chief labor relations officer prior to spending the last year and half as the director of labor relations and lead negotiator for Montgomery County Public Schools. Blivess obtained his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Speech Communication from Penn State University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Connecticut School of Law. When not practicing law and labor relations work, Steve enjoys watching baseball and spending time with his son and family.

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.

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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

Investing in DC Fire & EMS Saves Lives. The DC Fire & EMS Foundation's mission is to support the Department and its heroic members, and to educate the community about its life-saving mission. Contribute to Our Fall Giving Campaign! 2025 Annual Report Investing in DC Fire & EMS Saves Lives LEARN OUR STORY Our Mission & Vision The mission of the DC Fire & EMS Foundation is to support the DC Fire & Emergency Medical Services Department and its heroic members by supporting their training, wellness and recognition, equipment and facilities, and by educating the community about the Department's life-saving mission. Our vision is to empower the Department to continue to be a national leader in the fields of EMS, fire suppression and prevention, homeland security, and technical rescue. Our Team Thank you to our major sponsors, who see our Foundation's promise and honor the work of our first responders. Our Work How your investment helps Learn More TRAINING Investing in our Present and Future WELLNESS Taking Care of our First Responders EQUIPMENT & FACILITIES Supporting Excellent Service Learn More Learn More Learn More DID YOU KNOW? Every day, DC Fire & EMS first responders resuscitate patients in cardiac arrest, put out structure fires, rescue people trapped in elevators, and inspect buildings for safety hazards. EMS DC Fire & EMS is the 3rd largest health care provider in DC and a national leader in diverting non-emergency patients to primary care. Learn More Fire DC Firefighters are aggressive at preventing and responding to fires, rescuing victims, and preserving life and property. Learn More Diversity, Equity & Inclusion The DC Fire & EMS Department is one of the most diverse fire departments in the nation. Learn More MAKE A LIFE SAVING DONATION TODAY Donate Now EIN 26-0803057 @dcfireemsfoundation Subscribe to our Mailing List Join Thanks for subscribing!

2024 Awards Ceremony and Dinner The DC Fire & EMS Foundation co-sponsored the 2024 DC Fire and EMS Department Awards Ceremony and Dinner on June 7, 2024. 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 April 10, 2025 ceremony. Our Sponsors See the full Photo Album here and the full ceremony here. Fire Chief John Donnelly and Executive Director Amy Mauro Fire Chief John Donnelly and General Eric Smth, US Marines Motor Vehicle Crash Survivor Raci Gordon and her Mother, Tia Fields Raci, her Family, and her Lifesavers Dock 5 at Union Market Dock 5 at Union Market H Street Liquors Cocktail Hour US Marine Corps Quintet Band DCFD Emerald Society Pipes and Drums DCFD Emerald Society Pipes and Drums DC Fire & EMS Honor Guard Master of Ceremonies Lieutenant Eugene Russell-Roach Master of Ceremonies Captain Sid Polish Executive Director Amy Mauro Fire Chief John Donnelly City Administrator Kevin Donahue CNN Correspondent and DC EMS Patient Kasie Hunt and her Family Kasie's EMS Team and her Family Retired Medical Director Dr. Robert Holman and Awardee Sgt. Stephen Gerber First Sergeant. Battershall's Life Savers Cardiac Arrest Survivor First Sgt. Peter Battershall, US Marines and his Family Cardiac Arrest Survivor General Eric Smith, US Marines General Smith' and his Life Savers Greater Washington Board of Trade President Jack McDougal and Amy Mauro MedStar Hospital CEO Dr. Gregory Argyros Bronze Bar for Valor Awardee Lt. David Palmer Bronze Bar for Valor Awardees Sgt. Jason Tarbel and Firefighter Matthew Owen Unit Citation Class II-5-U Awardees Class II-5-U Ribbon for Merit Awardees Fire Survivor Cinder and his Dad, Danny Johnson Bronze Ribbon for Valor Awardee Firefighter Ryan Black Company of the Year, Engine 15 AFC James Hanson and Administrative Employee of the Year, Malissa Blanco Dr. Robert Holman and Administrative Employee of the Year, Gabriel Gan AFC Gary Steen and Administrative Officer of the Year Captain Melonie Barnes Paramedic of the Year Darrick Holland Fire Chief and Fire Chief's Excellence Awardee EMT Yvette Reid

Check out our Virtual Exhibit: The History of the DC Fire and EMS Department in Photos, Videos, and Oral Histories www.dcfireemshistory.org A pa rtnership between and the Friendship Fire Association A partnership between the DC Fire & EMS Foundation and Friendship Fire Association

< Back Olaf "Pete" Pederson Board Member Pete served as Manager of Emergency Preparedness for the Potomac Electric Power Company (Pepco) from 2011 - 2023. In that role, he was responsible for strengthening Pepco’s partnerships with area federal, state and local emergency management agencies, police and fire departments as well as local & state governments while at the same time developing new partnerships throughout Pepco’s service territory. He also worked closely with Pepco’s partners prior to and during system events developing procedures and protocols targeted at improving coordination and communication among utilities and first responders. Pete has over 44 years of experience in the electrical industry and has held positions in various divisions of the company including Systems Operations, Safety and Emergency Preparedness. In addition, to his role as Manager of Emergency Preparedness, he coordinated Pepco’s Emergency Services Partnership Program or “ESPP.” This program is designed to share critical electrical safety training and information with first responders (Fire, Police & CERT) to ensure their safety when responding to electrical emergencies.

< Back Balchander Jayaraman Board Co-Chair Mr. Jayaraman is currently President of Strategic Education Consulting, LLC, a minority-owned small business in the District of Columbia. His company creates emergency response and evacuation plans and training for District government agencies, schools, and residential buildings, as well as business continuity plans for private companies, and non-profits. He has specialized expertise in planning for the safe sheltering and evacuation of people with disabilities. Before starting his own company in 2010, Mr. Jayaraman was Project Director at Inclusion Research Institute, a non-profit research organization. He managed projects that increased employment opportunities for people with disabilities, increased voter participation in elections, and improved the preparedness of people nationwide through the development of an innovative Fire-safety planner and Readiness Action planner. Outside of work, Mr. Jayaraman has a distinctive track record as a civic activist, an elected official, and a top candidate in the DC Council At-Large race in 2020. He recently completed serving his fifth term as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) 6B, representing the Capitol Hill/Hilleast areas of Ward 6. He currently serves as an alumni board representative of Jenkins Hill Child Development Center, and DC Doors, a local non-profit that helps people secure permanent, stable housing. He is on the board of Capitol Hill Little League and also serves as an Umpire for the League. Mr. Jayaraman was born in Bangalore, India and moved to Overland Park, KS at the age of ten. He graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School the University of Kansas. He moved to the District of Columbia in 1995 and lives in Ward 6 with his wife and son.

< Back Tommy Wells Board Member Tommy started his career in the District working as a social worker for the District's child protective services agency. He served as Director of the DC Consortium for Child Welfare from 1991 to 2006 and as an ANC 6B Commissioner from 1995 to 2000. In 2001, he was elected to represent Wards 5 and 6 on the DC School Board. He served as the Ward 6 from 2006 to 2014; during his tenure he chaired the Committee on the Judiciary. He then joined the administration of Mayor Muriel Bowser as the Director of the Department of Energy & Environment for eight years, followed by a year as Director of the Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs. He retired from DC government service in 2023.