Odenton Volunteer Fire Company Hosts Annual Convention

From September 7 through 11, the member companies of the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association (AACVFA) held its annual convention, commemorating 92-years of service to the citizens of Anne Arundel County and the City of Annapolis. The convention was hosted by the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company (OVFC) who are celebrating their 90th anniversary. The Odenton community is celebrating its 150th anniversary.

Representatives of the OVFC were present at each of the convention program activities during the week. The convention began with a Past Presidents Dinner, held on September 7, to honor the services of the men and women who have served as President of the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association or its Ladies Auxiliary.

On September 8, the annual Memorial Service, held jointly with the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, recognized 64 members who passed away since the 2019 convention. A special recognition was also paid to the 19 volunteer and career firefighters who have died in the line of duty since records were maintained.

The main event of the convention was the annual meeting of both the AACVFA and Ladies Auxiliary on September 10. At the convention meeting, Wylie Donaldson had the convention book dedicated to him for his outstanding service of 68-years and still going strong. Several OVFC members received prestigious awards. William “Bill Rose” and Patricia “Pat” Rose were inducted into the AACVFA Hall of Fame, an honor reserved for those who have given a lifetime of volunteer service to their community. Gareth Davis was selected as the Greg Kroft Rookie of the Year, an award recognizing the contributions of new members at their very early stages of a volunteer career. The OVFC received the Jesse Fisher trophy with 5504 hours of training. This award recognizes the fire company that has dedicated the most hours to fire, rescue, or EMS related training during the year. Cynthia Kovacich received the Boots Raynor award which recognizes the individual who dedicates the most hours to Fire, Rescue, or EMS related training during the year. Cynthia finished the year with 888.5 hours. Last, but not least, Robert “Bob” Rose received the Fire, Rescue, EMS Individual of the Year award which is considered the highest award given by the Association that can be conferred on an individual other than that of heroism. It is awarded on a highly selective basis to an individual who, in the opinion of the judges, has made an outstanding contribution to the future welfare of volunteerism with his/her company, to Anne Arundel County, and the State of Maryland. The OVFC also received the booster ad trophy for collecting 492 boosters to help defray the cost of the annual convention book.

The convention concluded with an afternoon of celebration on September 11 with a Pig and Bull Roast event. The afternoon offered an opportunity for social enjoyment for the services provided by the volunteer members across Anne Arundel County.