By Ron Stafford
They are there when we need them through hard times such as hurricanes or through joyful times such as bringing Santa on a fire truck to community events. They are the members of the United Communities Volunteer Fire Department, under the leadership of President Kent Whalen.
Kent works full-time as an estimator for an electrical contractor in Lanham MD and joined the UCVFD 10 years ago. “I filled out an application and the rest is history.” He has held the office of president for the last three years. You could say that firefighting is in his blood. Most men in his family have served as firefighters, and his daughter, Molly, is in the cadet program that works with kids ages 10 to 16 who want to become involved.
“Every VFD is their own organization, “ Kent says. “Our jurisdiction starts south of Batts Neck Road on Route 8 and continues south to the end of Kent Island.” The department is funded by donations from residents of the communities along Route 8. UCVFD has 45 volunteers, which is small compared to other departments in surrounding areas.
How does the department operate and how does one become a firefighter or emergency medical technician (EMT)? To become a volunteer firefighter, the interested person completes an application, and then a short background check is performed. The applicant is brought to membership for a vote where interests are identified to determine which one of three areas is best suited to the applicant’s interests and experience: fire division, emergency medical services (EMS) or administrative work.
There is a six month probationary period after which the applicant spends the next two years earning the required certification by taking classes (which are free) at various firehouses in Centreville and in Millersville in Anne Arundel County. Firefighter training includes Fire I and Fire II and then onto training to be a fire officer. EMS training is similar in that two classes, basic EMT and EMTI (the I stands for intermediate), result in training on how to be a Medic, which is followed by enhanced training to become a Paramedic. Kent adds, “You can take as many classes as you want, and there are always more being offered. It’s a changing industry.”
When asked about team members who stand out, Kent offers two names: Ian Richards and Michael Parks. Ian currently attends Anne Arundel Community College, and lives on southern Kent Island. He has just completed Fire I. He’s looking into studying Fire Science, and Kent is proud of what he sees in Ian. “He’s a good kid…he’s going to be a keeper.” Michael Parks became involved with UCVFD about 10 to 11 years ago after seeing and hearing about the need from his wife and son who also are members. He first trained as a firefighter and continued onto the officer level. Seeing the need in EMS work, he continued in his training in EMS to the EMT-B level, and currently serves as EMS Chief and Captain. Michael says, “There is great reward in seeing that you make a difference for someone in an emergency.”
What does the future hold for UCVFD? Kent would like to see their numbers grow. “I would love to have 100 volunteers in the department.” He states that their number one goal is recruitment. “We want them. You don’t have to be a hero to be a member.”
For more information, call 410-643-1162 or visit the firehouse located at 9406 Romancoke Road. You also can contact them through their website www.ucfvd.org.