Scientist, Amateur Radio Operator Awarded HoCo Emergency Management Volunteer Of The Year

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Resident and scientist Dan Wilt has been presented with the Emergency Management Volunteer of the Year award by Howard County officials for his dedication to safety and advancing emergency response capabilities in the county.

Wilt is a member of the Columbia Amateur Radio Association and leads the Howard County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service.

"Dan has a special and often unrecognized set of technical skills as an amateur radio operator and chooses to support his community. Many people might not know about the critical role these radios could play in an emergency, but they would be invaluable to our communication and our ability to respond to our neighbor’s needs if phones, power or other communication systems were unavailable. Thank you, Dan, for always stepping up to serve Howard County, and congratulations on this well-deserved recognition," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said at a presentation ceremony.

The award annually recognizes an individual who volunteers time through the Howard County Community Organizations Active in Disaster to assist the county in preparing for, responding to and mitigating or recovering from emergency incidents or disasters in Howard County.

A Howard County resident for nearly 20 years, Dan is a researcher and expert in fiber-optic communication and works at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab where he also teaches and lectures on topics in his field. He served more than 150 volunteer hours in 2022 at specific RACES activities and events. He also spent many more hours developing training guides and plans for his fellow operators to ensure first responders and others could communicate during the worst of emergencies. He also volunteers to assist with other COAD assignments including staffing pandemic vaccination sites.

"Dan is a valuable member of COAD for his technical skills but also because he is a leader that inspires others to serve with compassion and purpose. In addition to his passion for amateur radio, he brings a willingness to help others learn and a desire to serve whenever and however possible. He brings energy and purpose to any task and inspires an entire community of volunteers. We could not be so prepared without people like him. We are very proud to name Dan OEM’s 2023 Volunteer of the Year," Mike Hinson, director of the county's Office of Emergency Management, said.