A new fire engine at a Potomac station that serves Bethesda and Chevy Chase now carries the name of Stephen Miller, a deputy chief who gave more than 50 years to the Cabin John Park Volunteer Fire Department.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) held a "Wet-Down & Push-Back" ceremony Sunday, Oct. 4, at Fire Station 730, located at 9494 Falls Rd. in Potomac. Pete Piringer, chief spokesperson for MCFRS, announced the dedication on X.

The tradition dates back more than a century in the fire service. Firefighters wash a new engine and then push it into the station, marking its official entry into service.

Miller joined the Cabin John Park department at age 16 and rose through the ranks to deputy chief, a role he held for more than 20 years alongside Chief Jim Seavey, who died in 2018. Miller also spent 30 years as a career firefighter with the District of Columbia Fire Department, retiring in 2005. His longest assignment was aboard the fireboat John H. Glenn Jr. with the Special Operations Battalion.

Beyond the engine house, Miller helped found Montgomery County's Swiftwater Rescue Team, known as River Rescue and Tactical Services (RRATS). The team earned national recognition and several lifesaving awards under his leadership. He served as team leader until stepping back from operations in 2009 and was serving as the county's Swiftwater Liaison Officer at the time of his death.

Firefighting ran in the family.

Miller's father, Melvin Miller, also volunteered with the Cabin John Park department. His daughter Holly Miller followed them into the station in 2003.

In 2006, when the department presented Miller with a lifetime service award after 35 years, he told the Connection Newspapers: "Every little kid wants to be a fireman. Some of us just don't grow up, I guess."

He kept volunteering for another 15 years after that award.

Miller died March 26, 2021, at age 66. He is survived by his wife Judy, children Stephen Jr., Patrick and Holly, and granddaughters Charlotte and Evie Schaeffer.