Ambulance Technician Lily R. Bridges is the recipient of the John E. “Sunny” Rose, Jr. Memorial Training Award for 2026. This award was announced at the Maryland State Firefighter’s
Association convention on June 23, 2026. Lily received the award on July 14, 2026.

Lily joined the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company (OVFC) in April 2025. She immediately took the Hazardous Materials Awareness course (nine hours), the required Incident Command System
courses and CPR/AED. She then enrolled in the Emergency Medical Technician course (207 hours) which she completed in August 2025. She was cleared as an Ambulance Technician in November 2025 and responded to nine ambulance calls in 2025 while on duty for 235 hours. Lily also completed the Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (21 hours) in October 2025 so she can eventually become an ambulance driver. In the summary, Lily completed 237 hours of certified training in 2025 as evidenced in her transcript from the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute.

Lily is putting her training to good use this year. Through March 31 of this year, she has been on duty for 170 hours and responded to 43 ambulance calls. Lily has demonstrated a strong commitment to training and self-improvement. The OVFC is very fortunate to have dedicated and motivated members like her to maintain the vitality of our organization.

If you wish to become a member of the OVFC please visit our membership page –> HERE.

ODENTON VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY
1425 ANNAPOLIS ROAD

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
60 TABLES OF MERCHANDISE TO CHOOSE FROM
CONTACT PATTI KIDWELL AT 301-928-6918 OR VIA EMAIL AT PAKIDWE@VERIZON.NET FOR MORE INFORMATION

There will be baked goods for sale
Craft and Vendor show is presented by the Ladies Auxiliary of the OVFC
Proceeds benefit the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company

Treasurer Carol Chambers received the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association Outstanding Member of the Second Quarter of 2026 on July 10, 2026.

Carol joined the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company (OVFC) in August 2021. She has worked diligently supporting many of the important administration functions of the company. She always answers a call for help, and always with a smile.

Carol was elected treasurer in December 2025 and took office in January 2026. The treasurer is a voting member of the Board of Directors and is one of the most demanding positions in the company. Carol seamlessly took over the duties from the previous treasurer. The position requires almost daily work to review bills and invoices, prepare checks, make bank deposits, reconcile accounts, monitor credit card usage, and manage the petty cash fund.  The treasurer provides detailed reports of incomes and expenditures in numerous accounts to the Board of Directors and at the membership meetings. The treasurer also prepares financial reports for fundraising programs and grants and oversees the preparation of OVFC’s annual tax returns. 

Recently we held the annual carnival. Every day Carol set up the cash boxes for the numerous food and game stands. After the closing of the carnival each night, she oversaw a team of members who counted the proceeds. The following day she made the bank deposits and provided daily reports to the Carnival Committee. As usual, she performed this work flawlessly.

Carol also serves as the “secretary” of the Membership Committee. OVFC has over 150 members. Carol maintains the digital membership database, adding new members and updating member records, as well as maintaining the hard copy member files. Carol sets up folders for new members containing their physical packet and New Member Task Book. She tracks the processing of the application paperwork of new members and advises leadership when there are outstanding actions. Carol also makes sure that new members’ personal and emergency contact information are added
to the database, and that they schedule and complete their fingerprinting and background investigations. She greets each member at the monthly company meetings and makes sure they sign the meeting roster. In short, Carol keeps the membership process humming.

Carol is also a very active on the Commissary Committee (the “Kitchen Brigade”) and seldom misses an event. The Commissary Committee provides meals at the company meetings and special events, as well as working at the annual carnival. Carol also steps forward to help with selling drinks at the Thursday Food Trucks events when needed.

Although not a member of OVFC’s Ladies Auxiliary, Carol helps the Ladies with their fundraising events, such as their annual November Craft Fair. She assists the Remembrances Committee by providing addresses of members for sending condolences, get well and congratulation cards and flowers. She supports the History and Archives Committee in maintaining one of their databases. She is on our Membership Retention Committee and serves as the company license tag chairperson. Finally, Carol assists the Awards Committee with researching members’ files for information needed for award nominations.

Carol has become an indispensable member of the fire company in just a few years. She’s a model member – committed, capable and conscientious. Carol deserves to receive the Outstanding Member of the Second Quarter Award.

If you wish to become a member of the OVFC please visit our membership page –> HERE.

On February 10, 2026, Chief Chuck Tucker accepted the VFW Post 304 Annapolis Firefighter of the Year Award for 2025 on behalf of Probationary Firefight Kirill V. Kleymenov.

Located next to Fort Meade, the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company (OVFC) is very fortunate to recruit dedicated military members like U.S. Air Force Specialist Kirill Kleymenov. Kirill joined OVFC in November 2023.

Kirill assimilated into the organization very quickly due to his military background and was very eager to learn. He began his training by taking CPR/AED in December 2023 as well as required on-line courses on the Incident Command System. He then enrolled in the Firefighter program (135 hours) which he completed in April 2024, followed by Hazardous Materials Operations in October 2024. After taking the required training course, Kirill
completed our internal clearance process to respond on OVFC’s fire engines. Through September 30, 2025, Kirill was on duty for 36 shifts totaling 389 hours and responded to 88 fire calls. Kirill has also actively participated in other company functions and meetings. He is a very valuable member.

If you wish to become a member of the OVFC please visit our membership page –> HERE.

On February 10, 2026, Stephanie Fitzpatrick received the Harry L. Cooper VFW Post 160, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) of the Year award for 2025.

Stephanie joined the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company (OVFC) in August 2023 with a strong desire to serve her community by providing emergency medical services. She completed her EMT certification in February 2024 and followed shortly with completion of the Emergency Vehicle Operator’s Course (EVOC) in June 2024. Her commitment to professional growth and willingness to take on new responsibilities have quickly made her a dependable and respected member of our EMS team.

Stephanie has demonstrated remarkable dedication and reliability. She consistently staffs both the Saturday and Sunday duty crews, often filling in on short notice to ensure full coverage and uninterrupted service to the community. Her flexibility and commitment to teamwork exemplify the spirit of volunteerism that is central to OVFC’s mission.  In late 2024, Stephanie joined the EMS Committee, further expanding her involvement beyond direct field operations. Her contributions to this committee reflect her interest in improving EMS readiness, training, and overall operations within the company. 

Through September 2025, Stephanie responded to 118 EMS calls and has volunteered an impressive 383 staffing hours. These numbers underscore her consistent and active engagement in serving Odenton and the surrounding areas. Stephanie approaches every shift with professionalism, compassion, and enthusiasm. She is known by her peers for her calm presence during emergencies, her eagerness to learn, and her willingness to mentor and support newer members. Her dedication to patient care and to the success of her team makes her an invaluable asset to the fire company.  Stephanie’s work ethic, reliability, and spirit of service embody the highest standards of volunteer emergency medical service.

If you wish to become a member of the OVFC please visit our membership page –> HERE.

On February 10, 2026, Cathy Bigler received the Walter-Howard-Shaw VFW post 327 Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) of the Year Award for 2025.

Cathy first joined the fire service in September 2023 as a member of the Arundel Volunteer Fire Company, where she began her journey in emergency medical services. She earned her National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) certification in March 2024 and subsequently joined the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company (OVFC) on June 11, 2024. That same day, she completed the Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC), further enhancing her operational readiness as an ambulance driver.

Cathy quickly became an active and dependable member of OVFC. In 2024, she responded to 55 ambulance calls (in addition to an unknown number while serving at Arundel). Her strong work ethic and dedication to excellent patient care have been consistently evident.

Since joining the OVFC, Cathy has demonstrated exceptional commitment to both her patients and her peers. From January through September 2025, she completed 63 shifts totaling 364 volunteer hours and responded to 118 ambulance calls. Her steady participation, enthusiasm, and positive attitude make her a valued and respected member of the EMS team.  Cathy’s professionalism and compassion reflect the highest standards of the emergency medical services profession. Whether responding to a critical medical emergency or assisting in routine patient transport, she consistently provides quality care and serves as a dependable partner to fellow providers.  Her continued dedication to training, reliability in response, and strong patient advocacy made her an outstanding candidate for the VFW Post 327 EMT of the Year Award.

If you wish to become a member of the OVFC please visit our membership page –> HERE.

On February 10, 2026, Omar Kaleem received the Harry L. Cooper VFW Post 160 Firefighter of the Year Award for 2025.

The Odenton Volunteer Fire Company (OVFC) can only survive if members of the community step up and join the company. This requires people to dedicate a significant portion of their time (and themselves) to the company. OVFC is very fortunate that Omar decided to join the company. He was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in Maryland. He was always looking for a way to give back to the community when he found OVFC and joined in July 2023. He quickly integrated into the company and has become an invaluable member of the Saturday Day crew.

Omar has completed all the requirements necessary to be qualified to ride a fire engine, which included CPR/AED, Hazardous Materials Operations and Firefighter I. After getting cleared to ride in July 2024, he responded to 79 fire calls in 2024. Through September of 2025, he responded to 109 calls and worked 36 shifts totaling 303 hours.

Omar is continuously looking to grow as a firefighter and enrolled in an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) class as soon as he could. He is currently progressing through the course, balancing that coursework with riding the fire engine on Saturdays. He has started his student rides on the ambulance and is excelling in class.

Firefighter Kaleem always makes his Saturday shift and helps the crew round out. He has started taking new members under his wing, and trains them to meet the extremely high standard that the Saturday crew requires. This allows the shift officer to focus on other duties, making the entire shift more efficient in the process. Saturday Day shift needed a member to step up into the mentor role for new people, and Omar has stepped into that roll.

If you wish to become a member of the OVFC please visit our membership page –> HERE.

Colonel John G. “Jack” Hulet, USA (Ret) passed away on December 30, 2025, at the age of 83, following a lengthy illness. Jean, his loving wife of 43 years, was at his side.

Throughout his lifetime, Jack has positively touched so many lives. Be it teaching ROTC cadets how to be outstanding officers, mentoring less experienced military who served beside him, encouraging Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) students to provide the best care to their patients, or encouraging his wife to take the next step in her career despite how difficult the challenge may have been, Jack was always there to help, encourage, and mentor. His favorite phrase with his EMT students when they were not giving it all they had was, “you can’t cure stupid”.

Born in Pottsville, PA in 1942, Jack began his military career in January 1968 as an enlisted Private (E1). He retired in October 1996 from the Pentagon at the rank of Colonel (06) and was immediately recalled to active duty by the Army G-1, Major General Timothy Maude who was tragically killed on 9/11. As General Maude’s special assistant to the director of military personnel and policy, Jack’s recommendations affected the career management of more than 750,000 Army Reservists. As a retiree recall, Jack was on duty at the Pentagon in the Army G1 section on September 11, 2001. While many of his coworkers died, Jack’s life was spared. He was one of the initial first responders on the scene that day, providing medical aid to the many injured when terrorists crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon.

Always a strong advocate for volunteer fire and Emergency Medical Service (EMS), Jack began volunteering at his hometown fire company, Yorkville Hose Volunteer Fire Company, Pottsville, PA in 1964 where he was a life member. During his volunteer career with Yorkville, Jack became a licensed EMT-B. Starting with his time at Yorkville, Jack has dedicated over 50 years of his life to emergency medical services.

In the early 1980s, the Army moved Jack to the Philadelphia, PA area. While assigned to the 79th Army Reserve Command in Willow Grove, PA and then Drexel University ROTC, Philadelphia, PA, Jack joined the Manoa Volunteer Fire Company in Havertown, PA where he volunteered evenings on the company’s Basic Life Support (BLS) unit. At the same time, he completed a master’s degree equivalent program with the National Defense University, Washington, DC, never compromising his EMS volunteer role. Certified as a NREMT-B and an EMT instructor by the Pennsylvania Department of Health Division of Emergency Health Services, Jack also began teaching EMT-B in the Philadelphia, PA area.

When the Army transferred Jack to Fort Meade, MD and then the Pentagon, Jack became affiliated with Maryland EMS, serving as a BLS unit EMT, and then an EMT instructor. He initially joined Ferndale Volunteer Fire Company where he volunteered on the BLS unit at least one night a week for many years. After a 10 or more-hour day at the Pentagon, he would get off the MARC train and go directly to the fire station on his duty nights where he volunteered religiously for several hours. During this time, he also completed a second master’s degree equivalent program, graduating with the designation distinguished graduate from the Naval War College in Annapolis. Jack later transferred his affiliation from Ferndale to Odenton Volunteer Fire Company where he was a life member. While at Odenton, Jack was part of the Saturday night ambulance crew for several years. He had excellent patient care skills and compassion, which led him to become a Maryland EMS instructor, instructor mentor, and instructor evaluator for the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute. He served several years as the EMS coordinator for the Maryland Renaissance Festival. He contributed many hours to developing EMS training videos, textbooks, presentations, and practical scenarios.

With an unending dedication to EMS, Jack was provided a once in a lifetime opportunity by the All-American Environment Services & HAZMAT Institute to serve as a senior instructor trainer for BOMBA, the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia. While there he taught a full EMT course to the Malaysian firefighters and then returned to Malaysia to teach an EMT instructor course. Throughout his Maryland EMS career, Jack was associated with several Fire and EMS organizations including: the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications; Maryland State Firefighters Association (MSFA); Anne Arundel Community College EMT faculty; Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association; Anne Arundel County Fire Department BLS Training Center; National Association of EMS Educators; International Association of Fire Chiefs; National Association of Emergency Medical Service Educators; Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute; American Heart Association; Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS), MIEMSS Pediatric Emergency Medical Advisory Committee; Maryland Pediatric Education for pre-hospital providers steering committee; MIEMSS BLS Committee; and several other MIEMSS committees.

In 2024, Jack was inducted into the MSFA Hall of Fame. He played a key role in Emergency Medical Services delivery, education, and policy across Maryland for nearly 20 years. His other recognitions include the Leon W. Hayes Award for Excellence in EMS, Francis L. Brannigan Instructor of the Year Award; American Red Cross Hometown Heroes Award / Firefighter Award; Anne Arundel County 100 Club Firefighter / EMT-B Award: Northern Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce Firefighter of the Year; Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association Hall of Fame; and top responder and outstanding service awards from multiple fire companies throughout his career. After many years of teaching CPR, EMT-B courses, and select classes for MFRI, Anne Arundel Community College, and Anne Arundel Fire Department career classes, Jack continued to mentor EMT-B students, serve on several committees and panels at MIEMSS, and write EMT-B practical examination scenarios. He continued to serve as a MIEMSS coordinator and evaluator for state practical examinations, and as a support instructor for EMT-B, Protocol Updates, EMT Refresher Training, and CPR for as long as his health would allow.

In addition to his wife, Colonel Jean M. Hulet, USA (Ret), Jack is survived by his loving feline family, Rudy, Olivia and Sniper, as well as a daughter, Jill Sottile, Pennsylvania, and granddaughter Katie Sottile, Massachusetts. Jack was preceded in death by his parents, John and Anna (Becker) Hulet of Pottsville, PA.