With a nurse for a mother and a paramedic for a father, Stephanie Irving has known since she was a child that she would someday grow up to work in emergency services.

The 22-year-old spent the last three years as a volunteer for the Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department, plus works a full-time job for All American Ambulance in Lothian. She is a live-in volunteer at the Dunkirk firehouse, so she spends her days on an ambulance and her nights waiting for emergency calls. She and hundreds of others like her make up the all-volunteer force of firefighters, paramedics, rescue divers, emergency medical technicians and auxiliary members who take care of Calvert County residents in many emergencies.

On Sunday, May 19, the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners hosted Volunteer Appreciation Day at the Calvert County Fairgrounds to honor those volunteers and their families. With moon bounces, pony rides, laser tag and more, a wide variety of entertainment and food was offered as a small token of appreciation for the sacrifice these volunteers make every day.

Julia Smith is the emergency medical services captain at Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department and said she was glad Volunteer Appreciation Day was offered by county government. “It’s a close-knit county and all the fire departments work well together on the scenes of accidents and fires, and then we can come here and let loose and have fun,” Smith said.

Carla Gray’s husband and son are both volunteers for the Prince Frederick Volunteer Fire Department. Gray is proud of her family and their contributions to the community. Her son, Willie Gray, recently received the Larry Cox Memorial Award for Volunteer of the Year in Calvert County, recognizing his commitment to being a volunteer.

“They help the community in every way,” Gray said. “When they’re absent from us, they’re there for someone else. It’s rewarding on all levels to see them doing that.”

Linda Reamy has spent the last seven years as secretary of the Prince Frederick Volunteer Fire Department and almost every year has made it to the annual Volunteer Appreciation Day. “It’s a real good thing,” Reamy said. “It gives all the volunteers a time to get out and enjoy themselves.”

The event was sponsored by the Calvert County Board of Commissioners and administered by the Calvert County Division of Fire/Rescue/EMS. Companies like Constellation Energy and Bowen’s Grocery donated items, including a 50-inch television to be raffled and ice cream for the event. Calvert County Parks and Recreation donated pool and golf passes to be raffled. Jackie Vaughan, director of the Calvert County Department of Public Safety, said one day at the fairgrounds does not make up for the daily sacrifices made by these volun