Family Support Network
Division of Human Resources

MCFRS Family Support Network Webpage Links

Mission Statement and Goals

Our mission is to provide peer support to MCFRS families in difficult moments following critical incidents and to help develop families' resilience at all times through education and training in CISM.

Goals:

• Develop a network of trained peers who are family/significant others.
• Develop a communications system for use during critical incidents to push/receive timely, accurate information and to respond to family questions.
• Provide one-on-one, group or family (in person or by phone) interventions during critical incidents.
• Sponsor and conduct training.
• Provide education and materials (video, audio and printed) to develop knowledge and skills for living and coping with unique needs and special circumstances associated with fire/rescue personnel.
• Develop a working relationship with department liaisons to families/fire rescue personnel during critical incidents (SOPs, information guides for CI coping, contact information, direct contacts). CIs can include death, injury, long-term illness, and natural disasters.
• Develop FSN as an inclusive organization for the MCFRS career and volunteer family.

Background

The concept of a cave in team began in the mid 1980s with the formation of Cave In 3. This group of trained individuals responded on local trench and building collapse incidents, and formed the basic footprint for what is now the Urban Search & Rescue team. Today, Montgomery County's USAR team, Maryland Task Force One, is the only federally sanctioned team in the state of Maryland.

The bombing of Oklahoma City prompted the deployment of the MCFRS USAR team. Family support was then organized to provide timely and accurate information to the families of the USAR team. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service Family Support Network is a group of trained MCFRS family members or significant others and was established in 1995.

There have been many incidents since the Oklahoma City bombing in which the FSN has been involved. These include Hurricanes Katrina, Ike and Rita and the September 11th terrorist attack on the United States. FSN responded post 9/11 by going to New York City. For six months they met with widows and liaison firefighters from a ladder company that lost nine firefighters at the World Trade Center. Family Support has responded to families where injury and illness have occurred, including the three firefighters injured in the Twinbrook fire.

The Family Support Network is now in the process of extending its efforts to include all MCFRS personnel and their families. MCFRS Family Support reaches out to both career and volunteer families.

BIOs and Contact Information

Family Support Network bios are below. Please feel free to contact us as needed by e-mail: [email protected]