ALFRED W. BRITTON, SR.

 Alfred W. Britton, Sr., known as Dutch, was born on 29 March 1913 and became an Auxiliary Member of the Rescue Hose Company #1 on 14 June 1932 at the age of 19.  On 8 December 1936, he was elected to active membership.  During his 54 1/2 years of being a volunteer, he served his home company in many ways.  On the administrative side, he was Secretary and Treasurer for 10-years, was on the Board of Trustees for 13-years, was on the fundraising committee for 5-years, as well as various involvement in other committees during his tenure.  On the fire side, he was a Lieutenant for 6-years, Assistant Fire Marshal for 9-years, Volunteer Deputy Chief of the Annapolis Fire Department for 4-years, and Acting Fire Chief for 2-years following the death of Volunteer Chief Rush Lacey until the City of Annapolis hired their first paid Fire Chief.  He was also the Training Officer for the new members of the company for 10-years and was a Pump Operator and Driver during this time until the early 1960's.

 Sine the age of 19, Dutch was dedicated to the fire service for Annapolis City, Anne Arundel County, and the United States Naval Academy Fire Department where he retired from on 25 February 1973 with 32-years of service.  He held the rank of Captain at the time of his retirement.

 Dutch was active in the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firemen's Association and served as a delegate from Rescue Hose for over 30-years.  He was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 2006.

 Dutch was also active in the Maryland State Firemen's Association and served as a delegate from Rescue Hose for over 30-years as well. 

 In 1958, Dutch purchased and operated a fire extinguisher business in Anne Arundel County.  With his son joining the family business in 1973, he stayed very active in the fire department and in the business until his death on 25 March 1987. 

 Firefighting was the heart and soul of Dutch Britton.  It was more than just a hobby for him, it was his life.  For over 54-years, he was dedicated to helping serve, protect, and training others in fire safety.