Odenton Volunteer Fire Company Members Honored

Submitted by Patch Contributor Patti Kidwell:

Several Odenton Volunteer Fire Company members received awards on June 19, 2018 at the Maryland State Firemen's Association Convention.

Craig Harman received the Gladhill-Thompson Award for his outstanding contribution to the Maryland State Firemen's Association and is the highest honor bestowed on a member.

Craig has been a member of the OVFC for over 45 years and has fulfilled many roles, including apparatus driver, line officer, and various administrative positions including President. He currently serves on the Board of Directors, is active in fundraising events, coordinates building maintenance projects, and is very active in future planning activities.

Craig is very active in the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association (AACVFA) to include serving as President and is currently serving as Treasurer. He led a working group to revise the Volunteer Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP) legislation in Anne Arundel County. This is a win-win for all parties: the County benefits from the continued participation of volunteer firefighters, and the volunteers are properly rewarded for their many years of service. Craig was inducted in the AACVFA Hall of Fame in 2010, selected as the AACVFA Individual of the Year in 2017, and recognized as the 2017 Volunteer Firefighter Unsung Hero by the One Hundred Club of Anne Arundel County.

Craig is also active in the Maryland State Firemen's Association (MSFA) most notably the MSFA Volunteer Company Assistance Fund (VCAF) Committee. He advises companies on the application requirements for the MSFA low interest loan program and serves as an advocate for Anne Arundel County fire companies seeking support from the VCAF program. He developed new marketing programs for VCAF and met with the Maryland Military Department to develop new procedures to streamline the loan process. Craig’s leadership has brought significant change to the VCAF program and made the loan process a true benefit that is attractive to the MSFA membership. He was inducted in the MSFA Hall of Fame in 2014 and received the Robert H. Shimer Administrative Person of the Year Award from MFSA in 2017.

Wylie Donaldson received the Robert Shimer Administrative Member Award in recognition of outstanding fire, rescue, or EMS Administrative member.

Wylie joined the OVFC in 1952 at 14 years old, following in the footsteps of his father and his grandfather, who was a Charter Member. Since 1960, he has continuously served in a position as either an administrative or a suppression officer. He has served on far too many committees to commit to paper. He has held every administrative position in the Company including President. He rose to the rank of Chief in 1974, a position he proudly served until 1989, when he chose to step down. Even with 65 years of active and continuous service, Wylie remains an instrumental part of the OVFC success, currently serving as Vice President and the co-chair of the annual carnival committee. Many of OVFC's leaders today have been mentored by him. One of the pumpers is dedicated to him in recognition of his service and support to the fire company and the community.

During his tenure as Chief, Wylie instilled that training was a vital component of delivering the highest quality of service to the citizens of the community. He also promotes the concept of the fire company being a vital part of the community and ensures OVFC presence is visible at all community events. Community leaders look to Wylie whenever there is a local project needing the support of the fire company. He finds a way of getting the job done and gaining the support of the people needed to make sure that is done right.

Wylie has also demonstrated his leadership ability with the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association (AACVFA) serving as President from 1998 to 1999. Most recently, Wylie helped lead efforts to greatly enhance the Volunteer Length of Service Award Program to reward volunteers for their service and provide an incentive to retain active volunteers. For his service to the ACCVFA, Wylie was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1998, was named Individual of the Year in 1994 and 2009, and was the Member of the Quarter in August 2010. He was also recognized by the 100 Club of Anne Arundel County as an Unsung Hero in 2007.

Wylie actively served the MSFA for several decades. He has served on numerous committees and presently serves as Chair of the Convention Exhibits Committee and as one of the Assistant Treasurers, acting as the association’s liaison to the Maryland Military Department and overseeing the administration of the $10M grant program to the state’s fire services and the $20M loan program for MSFA member companies. For his service to MSFA, he was inducted in the MSFA Hall of Fame in 1999, received the Gladhill-Thompson Trophy in 2005, and the Marbury F. Gates Service Cup Award in 2009.

Wylie demonstrates the leadership qualities that each of us strive to achieve and serves as a role model and mentor for each person he meets. He is a staunch supporter of the volunteer fire service.

Robert Rose was inducted in the Hall of Fame in recognition of distinguished service to the MSFA and or an individual department or county fire or rescue service.

Bob has been a member of the OFVC for over 45 years. He has served as President during three periods and is currently serving as Corresponding Secretary. Bob retired as a Captain from the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. A large portion of his career was spent in the Training Academy where he ensured that the training requirements for both volunteer and career personnel were being addressed. Bob is a certified instructor and often teaches classes for the OVFC taking no compensation, so that the members may obtain riding status more rapidly. He serves as a role model and mentor for our younger members.

Bob works for the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute as a Certification Specialist. He continuously promotes the certification program and regularly reaches out to fire service personnel across the state to help them submit the required paperwork to enable certification at each eligible rank and position to which they aspire. Bob has been the Alternate Representative to the Maryland Fire Service Personnel Qualification Board (MFSPQB), appointed by the Anne Arundel County Executive, from 1990 to 1995, and from 2002 to present. He has been a member of the delegation representing the MFSPQB at every annual National “Pro Board” Conference since 2005. In June 2015, Bob was awarded the Russell J. Strickland Award by the MFSPQB for “… exemplary efforts in the promotion of certification for fire and emergency services personnel in the State of Maryland.”

Bob has participated in many planning committees and, as part of the “Rose family tradition,” has been active in both the planning and conduct of each company fundraising activity. Bob has served on many committees, but the one that stands out the most is the Bull and Oyster Roast where Bob can always be found as part of the “pit crew” as a meat cutter. He is also a regular at our annual carnival where he can be found at the grill in the kitchen. Most recently, Bob managed a major project to renovate our apparatus bays.

Bob is very active in Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association (AACVFA). He currently chairs the 508 Fund Allocation Committee and has overhauled the application process, making it easier for companies to apply and to provide equity in the distribution of the funds. He was inducted into the AACVFA Hall of Fame in 2007 and was named AACVFA Individual of the Year in 2014. He also continues to be active in the Maryland State Firemen's Association.

Byron Phelps was a Marbury F. Gates Service Cup Award nominee which recognizes members with 50 years of continuous and faithful service. Bryon was also recognized for being 90 years old and still active in the fire service.

Byron has 75 years of service to the OVFC. He has the longest tenure of any current member. He has served the OVFC in a wide variety of responsible positions both administratively and operationally. He never aspired to be the Chief or the President, that is actually a statement of his dedication to just being one of the troops and doing whatever was necessary to get the job done. He serves as a role model and mentor for each person that he meets.

Byron was one of the most dedicated and dependable drivers that our company had for many years. Call him at any time of the day or night to fill our station or transfer an engine to another station, and he was right there. Schedule a training drill, and Bryon was there to assist and teach the younger members the right way to handle a hose line or drive a pumper. Today he still regularly attends the company fundraisers to include Oyster and Bull Roasts, Food Truck Thursdays, and Crab Feasts. Byron was enrolled in the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Hall of Fame in September 2010.

Bill Lewis was a Marbury F. Gates Service Cup Award nominee which recognizes members with 50 years of continuous and faithful service. Bill has over 56 years of service.

Bill joined the OCVFC at the age of 16. He has been an active participant in company activities for over 56 years. During those early years in the fire service, not much training was required to be a responder, but Bill took a keen interest in training. When a formal Fire Basic class became available in 1964, he entered the class along with other members of OVFC. He would later complete the Intermediate Fire and Advanced Fire training programs. He would continue a path of training throughout his fire service career until he stopped becoming an active responder just a few years ago. Bill served many years on both the administrative and operational side.

Bill is best known for his dedication to training and especially to driver training. He developed the first handbook for training new OVFC drivers. This handbook contained a checklist for each specific piece of apparatus to ensure that each driver possessed the necessary skills and qualifications to operate the unit before being cleared as a driver. This handbook has been adopted by several of OVFC’s neighboring companies.

Bill remains a valuable asset to the OVFC. He routinely is available to assist with building maintenance projects and serving as Carnival Chairman for the past several years which includes preparations several months in advance. Bill does the food ordering and supplies for all fundraisers and figures it so food is not left over. He is also active on the Special Programs Fundraising committee.

Bill was inducted in the AACVFA Hall of Fame in September 2010 and the MSFA Hall of Fame in June 2017. He illustrates the true spirit of volunteerism, supporting the operations during his younger years and later transitioning to an administrative support role. He is the type of member that you hope that every new member will mirror so that the company will continue to prosper.

Anthony Simonetta received the Firefighter of the Year in recognition of outstanding citizenship and exemplary job achievement. Anthony also received the John E. "Sunny" Rose, Jr. Memorial Training Award in recognition of an individual who dedicates the most hours to fire, EMS, and rescue training during the year.

Anthony has been a member of the OVFC since November 2013 and immediately embarked on an extensive training program. He is a state-certified Firefighter II and Emergency Medical Technician and is cleared to ride all apparatus. He was OVFC’s top responder in 2017 with 946 calls.

Anthony is an avid learner and seeks out every available educational and training opportunity. In May 2017, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Emergency Management and Homeland Security from the University of Akron. He is now enrolled in a Master of Science program in Leadership with an emphasis on disaster preparedness and executive fire leadership. In 2017, Anthony completed 551 hours of training, including his college courses. He was recognized by the One Hundred Club of Anne Arundel County in 2017 with a major scholarship award to support his educational pursuits in public safety.

In addition to Anthony's active participation as a firefighter and EMT at OVFC, he also completed the required training to become red card certified by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Forestry Division. In August 2016, he deployed to Idaho as part of the Maryland Interagency Fire Crew to help combat wildland fires in that area. In December 2016, he was a member of a team that deployed for five days to Gatlinburg, Tennessee to help the community recover from the wildfires. During this deployment, the team conducted damage assessments, debris removal, sawyer operations, and sifting through debris to assist families in finding memorable and valuable personal items.

Anthony always conducts himself in an exemplary manner and gives 100% effort in everything he does.

Brandy Boulden was nominated for the C. Oscar Baker Rookie of the Year nominee to recognize outstanding rookies. She was not selected.

Photos courtesy of Patti Kidwell