Montgomery County Maryland – Fire & Rescue Service

10/12/2026

10/11/2026

🚨 Flood Safety PSA from MCFRS 🚨

Heavy rain is creating hazardous driving conditions across our area today. Please avoid driving through flooded roadways. It only takes a small amount of moving water to sweep a vehicle off the road, and the depth of floodwater is often impossible to judge.

Turn Around, Don't Drown

MCFRS is ready to respond when emergencies happen, but we need your help to prevent a dangerous situation before it starts.

✅ Slow down and allow extra travel time�✅ Never drive around barricades or road closure signs�✅ Find an alternate route if you encounter standing or moving water�✅ Stay alert for rapidly changing conditions, especially in low-lying areas

Your decision to avoid floodwaters could save your life and prevent the need for a water rescue.
Stay safe, stay informed, and help keep our first responders out of unnecessary danger.

10/11/2026

🚨 Working Fire - Seneca Farm Lane🚨

This afternoon, MCFRS units responded to a reported house fire on Seneca Farm Lane. Arriving crews encountered heavy fire on the exterior deck with extension into the residence and attic space. Conditions rapidly deteriorated as fire spread through the roof assembly, resulting in significant structural involvement and ultimately burning through much of the roof. 

Operating in a non-hydrant (rural water) area off Seneca Road, crews established an extensive water shuttle operation to maintain uninterrupted fire flow. Resources included a Rapid Intervention Dispatch (RID), Water Supply Task Force (WSTF), and Fire Task Force (TF) to support suppression operations and firefighter safety.

Approximately 65 firefighters operated on scene. One occupant safely evacuated prior to firefighter arrival. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported. Five adults and three dogs were displaced by the fire. The cause remains under investigation. 

Outstanding work by all responding companies for recognizing changing fire conditions, maintaining accountability, and executing a safe firefighting operation during a dynamic and dangerous incident.

10/09/2026

Come join us for a great learning experience with the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

The IAFC is offering a FREE Building Collaborative Teams (BCT) course at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy on Friday, November 13, from 8 AM to 5 PM.

Take advantage of this opportunity to invest in yourself and your team!

10/09/2026

MCFRS personnel and our partners across public safety, emergency management, and neighboring departments are invited to register for the inaugural Community Risk Intelligence:

Geospatial and Advanced Data Analytics course, a new executive program developed by the Vision 20/20 Project in partnership with Esri.

📅 November 5-6, 2026
�📍 Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI), University of Maryland
�💲 Free for fire department personnel
�👥 In-Person | Two Full Days

This hands-on course will help fire service professionals transform incident data into actionable community risk intelligence. Participants will work directly in ArcGIS using both NERIS and legacy NFIRS data to:

✅ Identify community risk patterns�✅ Develop maps and dashboards that communicate key findings�✅ Apply data-driven insights to Community Risk Assessments�✅ Strengthen Community Risk Reduction (CRR)

programs using the Vision 20/20 framework
As the first delivery of a planned nationwide rollout, this inaugural session at MFRI offers a unique opportunity to be among the first professionals trained through this exciting Vision 20/20 and Esri partnership.

🔗 Register today: https://forms.gle/X5cVJG1a9EmdruQN7

⚠️ Seats are limited. We encourage early registration and ask that you share this opportunity with colleagues and neighboring departments interested in expanding their analytical and community risk reduction capabilities.

We look forward to seeing you in Maryland this November!

10/08/2026

Training Announcement: IAFC Building Collaborative Teams Course

MCFRS is pleased to share an outstanding professional development opportunity for fire and rescue personnel across our region.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Workforce Solutions team will host the Building Collaborative Teams (BCT) course at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy (PSTA) on Friday, November 13, 2026.

This free, one-day interactive course is designed to strengthen communication, collaboration, and teamwork through practical exercises and proven strategies that participants can bring back to their departments. The training is open to volunteer, career, and combination fire service personnel, as well as department leaders.

Course Details:

Date: Friday, November 13, 2026

Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Location: Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy, 8751 Snouffer School Road, Gaithersburg, MD

Cost: Free. Breakfast and lunch will be provided by the IAFC

Registration is now open through the IAFC.

Seating is limited, and interested participants are encouraged to register as soon as possible.

Registration information and link are on the attached poster.

10/07/2026

10/07/2026

Technical Rescue Completed in Potomac

This afternoon, MCFRS crews responded to a trench collapse on Falls Bridge Lane in Potomac, where a utility worker became trapped approximately 13 feet underground.

More than 65 rescuers, including Technical Rescue personnel and regional partners, worked for over three hours to safely extricate the worker. 
The worker was successfully rescued and transported to Shock Trauma with serious injuries.

We thank our mutual aid partners, Maryland State Police Aviation Command, and the Shock Trauma Go Team for their assistance. 

10/05/2026

MCFRS crews working this barn fire last evening.

Great work by all involved.