Wylie Donaldson, Odenton VFC Celebrate 70 Years of Service

On September 13, 1952, Wylie L. Donaldson, Jr., joined the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company (OVFC) at the age of 14, following in the footsteps of his father and his grandfather, who was a Charter Member of OVFC. On September 13, 2022, Wylie celebrated his 70th anniversary of active service with OVFC and he was presented a Governor’s Citation for Outstanding Services to the Citizens of the State of Maryland. From 1960 until 2021, he continuously served as either an administrative officer or a suppression officer, sometimes serving on both sides at the same time. He was Fire Chief for 16 years and was bestowed with the honor of Chief Emeritus. As Chief he was a strong proponent of training and community engagement. He was also our President for nine years and has served on nearly every company committee and is still a key member of the annual carnival committee. Wylie has also been a strong supporter of the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association (AACVFA). He was the Association President for the 1998-1999 term and initiated a volunteer cadet program within the Anne Arundel County Public School System. More recently,

Wylie helped to lead efforts to greatly enhance the Length of Service Award Program to reward volunteers for their service and provide an incentive to retain active volunteers. For his service to the AACVFA, Wylie was inducted into the AACVFAHall of Fame in 1998 and was named Individual of the Year in 1994 and 2009. He was also recognized by the 100 Club of Anne Arundel County as an Unsung Hero in 2007. Wylie has also actively served the Maryland State Firemen’s Association (MSFA) for several decades. He has served on numerous of committees, most notably as Anne Arundel County’s representative on the Executive Committee from 1998 until 2012 and as Executive Committee Chairman in 2011-2012. Wylie presently serves as Chair of the Convention Exhibits Committee. He is also one of the Assistant Treasurers. He is one of a few people across the state to win the three most prestigious MSFAawards: GladhillThompson Award, Marbery F. Gates Award, and the Robert H. Shimer Administrative Person of the Year Award. Wylie has been inducted in the MSFAHall of Fame as well as the Maryland Fire Chiefs Association Hall of

Apparatus from the Nitro Fire Department

Fame. He has also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Volunteer Fire Council and the Maryland Governor's Lifetime Achievement Award for volunteer service. In summary, Wylie Donaldson has made outstanding contributions to the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company and the fire service in Anne Arundel County and across the State of Maryland for over 70 years. He is a dedicated and highly effective leader and an outstanding role model for the fire service. - Submitted by Don Evick

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