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2025 Annual Report

< Back Chuck Bean Board Member As executive director of COG, he was responsible for COG’s several boards and committees and guided high-level initiatives (attracting Amazon HQ2, dedicated funding for Metrorail) for the region, including unified planning priorities for 2030 (“ Region United ”) related to equity, transportation, housing, and climate. Prior to COG, Chuck served as CEO of the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington for 10 years. Other positions: Director of the Community Capacity Fund (a 9/11-related recovery fund), Deputy Director of the EZ/EC Foundation Consortium (a group of national foundations that supported the Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community initiative), and the Eureka Fellowship Program (a leadership program for executive directors of nonprofit organizations). Chuck has a BA from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN and an MPP from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

DC Fire & EMS is one of the most diverse fire and EMS Departments in the nation, with much higher percentages of women and African Americans than most departments. We are proud of our programs that empower women to lead and support the professional development of DC residents. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion DC Fire & EMS is one of the most diverse fire departments in the nation. The uniformed workforce is 48% African American, 33% DC residents (up from 27% in 2015), and 13% women (up from 11% in 2015). In contrast, nationally, 5% of firefighters are women and 8% are African American. Thank you from Camp Spark! In July 2024, the DC Fire & EMS Foundation co-sponsored Camp Spark, a two-day summer camp for girls aged 12 to 17 years old who are interested in becoming firefighters and EMS providers. This camp is part of the DC Fire & EMS Department's 30 by 30 goal -- increasing the Department's percentage of women in uniform to 30% by 2030. One of the Foundation's priorities is supporting the Department's workforce development and diversity. Hear from Camp Spark campers in this short video , followed by a thank you letter to the Foundation from the Department's Women's Advisory Council: Since 2015, DC Fire & EMS has made a concerted effort to hire and promote more women and DC residents, through programs like Empowering Women to Lead, the Women's Advisory Council , the Diversity Advisory Council, improving recruitment funding and staffing , and a new and more accessible entrance exam process . There are now women at every uniformed supervisor rank except assistant fire chief and fire chief. The Department provides diversity training to all employees and has a Racial Equity Action Plan.

< Back Larissa Bergin Board Secretary Larissa works with clients in a variety of industries, including the technology, health care, retail, and pharmaceutical sectors. Many of Larissa's clients have international reach, and she has been involved in matters that require advocacy before governments throughout Asia, the EU, and North America. At the start of her career, Larissa clerked at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, where she addressed intellectual property, tax, and government contract issues, including Serco, Inc. v. United States (also referred to as the Alliant protest), a bid-protest case involving a $50 billion procurement for government-wide information technology and services. Larissa is a member of the Antitrust Section of the American Bar Association and is chair of the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Law Section of the New York State Bar Association. She is a Ward 1 resident and admitted in the New York, Connecticut, and District of Columbia bars.

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

< 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.

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. "Legacy on Ice” Benefit on March 2, 2025 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 Associated Press: Figure skating event benefitting victims of DC plane crash to take place in Washington in March 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. 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) 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 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.

DC FIRE & EMS FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES $442,467 IN GRANT AWARDS FROM LEGACY ON ICE PROCEEDS Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s Legacy on Ice event raised funds for the families of those lost in the tragic January 29, 2025 mid-air collision over the Potomac River, first responders, and the US Figure Skating Association Contact: Amy C. Mauro, Esq. 202-297-0599 amy@dcfireemsfoundation.org August 1, 2025 (Washington, DC) – On March 2, 2025, Legacy On Ice brought the figure skating community and thousands of supporters together at Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena to honor the 67 lives lost in the January 29th airline tragedy on the Potomac River, as well as the first responders who rushed to the scene. One third of the funds raised by the event will benefit area first responders (the remaining funds benefit the families and the US Figure Skating Association). “The grants being announced today are both a practical measure of gratitude and a symbol of hope and healing for those first responders who worked on this tragic scene to help bring closure to the families of those who lost their lives,” said Chander Jayaraman, Co-Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Government agencies involved in the plane crash response, or their affiliated non-profit organizations, were eligible to apply for the funds. The grant applications were evaluated by a committee of DC Fire & EMS Foundation Board and staff members, and then reviewed and approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors. The evaluations were based on the eligibility of the applicant, the quality and completeness of the application, the anticipated impact of the proposed funding, and the nature and size of the responding agency’s response to the Potomac River tragedy. The Foundation announced the following awards: $142,500 to the DC Police Foundation for the building of Wellness Rooms for Metropolitan Police Department personnel, a Member Wellness Academy for police officers and their families, and the purchase of an mobile wellness application for every police officer on the force; $85,000 to the DC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for foundational support of mass casualty response operations, enhanced response readiness, and delivery of targeted staff training on trauma-informed family assistance and interagency coordination; $27,554 to the Prince Georges County, MD Fire and EMS Department for a new wireless communication system and equipment for special operations personnel, as well as a train the trainer course on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, an evidence-based therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, for both the county’s fire and police departments; $15,000 to Charles County Dive and Rescue, Inc. to support their purchase of a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to assist with dives and rescues; and $172,413 to benefit DC Fire & EMS Department personnel through its affiliated organizations, including: $44,247 to the DC Fire & EMS Foundation in unrestricted funds for Legacy on Ice related program costs; $70,196 to the DC Fire & EMS Foundation for sustaining and expanding trauma support services for DC firefighters and EMS personnel; $25,000 to Food on the Stove to support its Food for Thought initiative $23,000 to the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation to support its Family Services program; and $10,000 to the DCFD Emerald Society Pipes and Drums for supplies and equipment replacements. Amy C. Mauro, Esq., Executive Director of the Foundation, stated that “We are eternally grateful to Ted Leonsis and Monumental Sports & Entertainment for their leadership in this initiative and their understanding of the impact that this work has on these employees and organizations.” ###########

< 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.

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.