Left, Jack Zalusky was named North Beach Volunteer Fire Department’s Firefighter of the Year for 2015.
Chesapeake Beach, MD – In 1926 what today is the State of Maryland’s last all-volunteer fire, rescue and emergency medical service system serving a county began. On Feb. 27, those attending the annual North Beach Volunteer Fire Department (Company 1) Awards Banquet and Installation of Officers had the opportunity to mark the special occasion.
While the nostalgia was supplied by several speakers and a display of artifacts from the Bayside History Museum, the men and women of Company 1 mainly concentrated on the collective accomplishments of the department during 2015.
Maryland Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs George W. Owings III, who grew up in the Twin Beaches area, recalled going to school in a small building that was located in Chesapeake Beach on the spot where Company 1 now has its firehouse. “Think of where we are today,” said Owings, noting that for 90 years running Twin Beaches area residents have made volunteering with the company a tradition within their families. As an example, the company’s first chief in 1926 was Willard Ward Sr. Owings said other members of the Ward family have served in leadership roles and have been active volunteers in the 10 decades the company has existed.
“The names tell a story,” said Owings. “It [Company 1] truly is a family affair.”
Two 50-year members of Company 1—Eddie Humphreys and Billy Hardesty— were recognized during the awards ceremony. Proclamations were presented by three county commissioners—President Evan K. Slaughenhoupt Jr., Pat Nutter and Steve Weems—and Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr.
Chesapeake Beach Mayor Bruce Wahl presented a $25,000 check to Company 1 Chief Dave Devere. Wahl made mention of the fact that 10 years after his home was nearly destroyed by a fire, he and his wife Becky remain grateful to the volunteers for their service. Checks were also presented to the department’s top officers by North Beach Councilwoman Gwen Schiada on behalf of the town and members of the fire company’s auxiliary.
Four crews who responded to challenging situations where lives that might have been lost were saved received special recognition. Three of the incidents involved reviving patients who had gone into cardiac arrest and the dramatic early morning rescue of boaters whose vessel had capsized.
Member Pat Osburn was recognized for her 1,113 emergency medical service (EMS) calls in 2015. Osburn’s total represented nearly 75 percent of all of Company 1’s EMS calls for the year. Jack Zalusky earned recognition for having the highest number of combined fire and EMS calls. Zalusky was also named Company 1’s Firefighter of the Year for 2015 (The James Buckmaster Award).
Company 1’s Larry Cox Award recipient was Kaitlyn Wood and Susan Newton received the Jerry Salmon Award.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
