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40th Anniversary Dedication of Larry Cox Memorial
On the same day that the North Beach Volunteer Fire Department marked the 40th anniversary of a member's death, the department dedicated a memorial to commemorate all of those who have served the organization and are no longer living.
Cox died in 1970 when he fell off a fire truck responding to a fire. The fire trucks used back then were much different from those used today, according to NBVFD Assistant Chief Donald Gibson, a 21-year veteran with the department. The NBVFD switched to a new, safer truck design around 1993, according to Gibson; now, truck cabins are fully enclosed and provide a seat and seatbelt for each firefighter. "It was great to see so many members of different generations all together at the memorial," Gibson said. Today, Gibson said, one of the main challenges the NBVFD faces, aside from actually fighting fires, is attracting and keeping members. "Being a firefighter used to
be a family tradition," said Gibson, who has had several members of
his own family, including his father and two grandfathers, serve as
firefighters.
These days, Gibson said, so many potential recruits are accustomed to and expect to be paid for their work, and being a volunteer firefighter is a huge commitment — one that many potential recruits in younger generations may not be prepared for, and certainly not on a volunteer basis. To overcome this challenge, Gibson says the NBVFD has worked with members of the Calvert County government and the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners to develop a benefits package for volunteer firefighters that will hopefully help attract and maintain new recruits. According to Gibson, some of the benefits offered to county firefighters include college tuition reimbursement, reimbursement of child care expenses and certain tax benefits. Calvert County Commissioner Barbara A. Stinnett (D), one local leader who has helped establish some of the firefighter benefits, said the tax benefits include assistance in paying Maryland real estate taxes, a Maryland tax deduction and a stipend based on length of service for qualifying members, as well as possible home buying assistance. When asked whether she considered the commissioners instrumental in securing the benefits package for local volunteer firefighters, she said, "I wouldn't give them credit for any of it." She went on to clarify that each and every volunteer firefighter and auxiliary member is an advocate for his or her department and each person's input and support is vital. "[The commissioners] have absolutely been very supportive," Stinnett said. "But then, we have a lot to be proud of." Stinnett points out that all firefighters in Maryland, whether paid "professionals" or unpaid volunteers like those in Calvert, receive identical training and certifications. She said she dislikes the implication that volunteers are not professionals. "All of our people are professionals," Stinnett said of Calvert's volunteer firefighters. "I respect them more than any other area because this is a dangerous vocation, and you look at the lives that are being saved — and these people take it in stride. It's pure dedication." Stinnett went on to say that Calvert is the last county left in Maryland whose firefighters are all volunteers, and that this volunteer status saves county taxpayers millions of dollars each year. For more information about the NBVFD, contact the station at 410-257-6564 or Kim Jones, recruitment and retention coordinator at the Department of Public Safety Fire-Rescue-EMS Division, at 410-535-1600. Story Courtesy of Calvert Recorder |
On
Wednesday, April 7, the North Beach Volunteer Fire Department (NBVFD),
founded in 1926 in North Beach and later transported to its current
location in Chesapeake Beach, held the dedication at its Bayside
Road station. The dedication was the first of its kind for the NBVFD
and was held to honor firefighters and members of the auxiliary who
have died; the day also marked the 40th anniversary of the death of
Larry Cox, the first and only NBVFD firefighter to die in the line
of duty. 