September 14, 2023

Outstanding Member of the Quarter Committee
P.O. Box 1230
Severna Park, MD 21146

The Ferndale Volunteer Fire Company would like to nominate Laura L. Long for Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association Outstanding Member of the Quarter Award. Sighting superior performance of duty while serving the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Company. Since joining the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Company. Laura demonstrated exemplary dedication as the Chairperson of the Ways and Means Committee and Hall Manager. While filling her role as the Chairperson for the Ways and Means Committee, she has brought new ideas and many opportunities for the community to get involved with the fire company. Children from the Ferndale community have enjoyed Breakfast with the Easter Bunny and Breakfast with Santa, along with our open house where they are exposed to life safety information. She has organized fundraisers above and beyond our normal Wednesday night bingo, bringing community members into our station. When the Board decided that for the best interest of the company that we do away with weekly Bingo and the mandatory working of our members. Laura recruited enough administrative members to staff the weekly bingos ensuring that we had a steady income and the riding members could concentrate on staffing the apparatus. As the Hall Manager, she has single handedly taken over all the hall rentals, meeting with renters, tracking contracts, and ensuring that the rentals go smoothly. The result of those actions has brought our rental bookings and income to levels never seen before. Laura’s involvement with the company goes beyond raising money. She has organized moral events to help bring the company members closer together and provide some relief from the demands of being a first responder. She willingly steps in to handle any task that needs to be complete, ensuring that whatever needs to be done gets done.

The respect that she has gained from the membership has gotten her elected to the Board of Directors. Laura L. Long’s diligence, perseverance, and devotion to duty are most heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Company.

This is why the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Company has nominated Laura for the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association Outstanding Member of the Quarter.

Respectfully,
John F. Long, Jr.
President