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JOHN KRAFT
Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association
Firefighter/EMT/Admin Member of the Quarter
December 2017
The officers and members of the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company (OVFC) are pleased to nominate Firefighter John Kraft for the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association’s (AACVFA) Firefighter/EMT/Administrative Member of the Quarter Award.
John joined the OVFC in October 2011. With prior fire and EMS training and experience, he quickly assimilated into our organization and gained recognition and respect as a dedicated member. He is a very consistent member of the Monday night duty crew and averages about 100 emergency calls annually. He spends a lot of time helping new members get acclimated and trained, and ably serves as the crew leader in the absence of an officer.
In the past few months, John has been the lead individual for three key OVFC events:
- Odenton Day, October 7, 2017 – John was given the challenge of scheduling OVFC’s participation in the annual Odenton Day event which brings the community to the fire station to see displays about Odenton’s heritage and community activities. OVFC participation included a display of apparatus, rescue and fire demonstrations, public fire education, blood pressure checks, and volunteer recruitment. John put together the plan for the day, assigned crews to each activity, and made sure that the necessary supplies and materials were available. The day was a great success with over 40 OVFC members participating and more than 1000 Odenton residents visiting the fire station.
- National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) Stair Climb, October 28, 2017 – John built upon his own personal goal to get in better physical condition and challenged OVFC members to participate in a stair climb fundraising event to support the NFFF. For weeks prior to the event, John gathered members for practice sessions to prepare for the climb. On the day of the event, 12 OVFC members participated in the climb that is the equivalent of the 110 stories of the World Trade Center towers. Each OVFC member completed this feat while in full turnout gear. The group gathered donations from friends and family and contributed over $5,000 to the NFFF.
- Brian Boru Restaurant Fundraiser for OVFC, November 16, 2017 – John asked for permission from OVFC to coordinate a fundraising dinner at the Brian Boru restaurant in Severna Park. John is a frequent customer there and had established a good working relationship with the owner who wanted to do something to help the fire company. John gathered a small group of members to help coordinate the event, including a raffle with prizes donated from local businesses. A special menu option provided a portion of the proceeds for the evening. The night was a success, with OVFC members and friends sharing a night out with a good meal and fun while supporting the fire company. At the end of the night, the OVFC received over $1200 from the proceeds of the dinner and the raffle.
John has also taken a very active role in our Health and Wellness Committee. He has been very active in encouraging our members to get fit. He has helped to obtain and install new exercise equipment at our station. John has been leading workout sessions for the Monday night crew and will be helping to organize and lead future workout sessions for the entire company.
Finally, as his name suggests, John is a very talented craftsman. With the assistance of another member, he designed and built an amazing crew assignment/bulletin board for our station kitchen. He also designed the new “Taz” morale logo for our challenge coins and shoulder patches.
Firefighter John Kraft is a very dedicated, talented, and valuable member of our organization, and we proudly submit him for consideration for the Firefighter/EMT/Administrative Member of the Quarter Award.
Respectfully submitted,
David W. Lewis
President
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