JEFFREY D. HANKINS
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY VOLUTNEER FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION
FIREFIGHTER//EMT/ADMINISTRATIVE MEMBER OF THE QUARTER
AUGUST 2020

The officers and members of the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company (OVFC) are very proud to nominate Firefighter/EMT Jeff Hankins for the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association’s Firefighter/EMT/Administrative Member of the Quarter Award.

Jeff joined OVFC in April 2016 at age 16 and quickly began to absorb information from the senior members of his crew.  He completed his Firefighter I training as he was turning age 18 and was quickly cleared to ride the fire engines.  During this time, a majority of his duty crew left the shift because of work changes, leaving Jeff and another probationary firefighter to carry the load.  Jeff stepped up and began learning more about fire tactics from mentors around the station.  His determination led to him eventually taking the lead on his duty crew, building it to include several other firefighters and an ambulance crew.

Outside of the station, Jeff works as a staff assistant within the Department of Defense while going to school full time at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC).  At AACC, Jeff completed the EMT program as part of the electives for his Computer Science associates degree.  After obtaining his EMT certification in 2019, he was quickly cleared to ride on OVFC’s ambulance.

Jeff’s strongest leadership trait is his desire to acquire and share knowledge with his duty crews.  He provides mentoring to new EMTs and EMT students on weekend shifts, assisting them with their turnover process and student packets for class.  On Saturday shifts, it’s common to find him in the parking lot pulling lines with new firefighters or going over size-ups and scene management techniques at the kitchen table.  His desire to make himself better has had a strong influence on the crews he rides with, increasing the capabilities of our fire company.

Jeff has received two important awards in the short time that he has been a member.  In July 2017, he received a Gift of Life Award from the Anne Arundel County Fire Department for his participation in the successful resuscitation of a cardiac arrest patient.  In 2018, Firefighter Hankins received the coveted OVFC Chief’s Award for his leadership in keeping the station staffed during the daytime periods.

Firefighter Hankins has been one of our most active responders.  In 2018, he responded on 155 fire calls.  In 2019, he responded on 185 fire calls and 18 ambulance calls, making him our #10 responder.  So far in 2020, he has been on 89 fire calls and 18 ambulance calls.

In addition to his operational contributions, Jeff is also a strong supporter of our Public Education Committee.  He volunteered to take over the coordination of external events for the Public Education Committee in January.  As a result of his drive and organizational skills, he has been trusted to organize many birthday parties, parades, and public outreach programs.

Firefighter/EMT Jeff Hankins is a very dedicated, dependable, 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,
Craig B. Harman
President
Odenton Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.