I would like to thank Chief Hohman for inviting me here this evening, and Division Chief Dave Murphy for putting this event together tonight.
We are here tonight to honor exemplary fire fighters and civilians. Men and women who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in the service of their fellow citizens. That is a high bar for professional fire fighters.
Each day, you leave the comfort and security of your homes, and enter a world of unknowns. You see things that are difficult to understand, you face real danger. There are few in this world so willing to take the trauma from another life and make it their own.
To me that makes the sacrifice and bravery of fire fighters all the more remarkable. It isn't a single brave moment, it is a lifetime of taking risks to serve others. We honor firefighters tonight who have chosen to face daily challenges and dangers, and who have made honorable service a full time job.
There are civilians receiving commendations tonight as well. You could call them ordinary citizens, except that they aren't ordinary.
There is nothing ordinary about a six-year old who helped his father deliver a baby, or a man who saw people trapped in a burning building and found a way to get them out. And there is nothing ordinary about a man who has spent fifty years as a volunteer firefighter in his community.
Cadets from the Wise Avenue Volunteers have given their time and energy to a fire safety program, doing their best to keep their neighbors safe and their neighborhood intact.
Our community is not about where we live, it is about how we live. In these acts of service we celebrate, we see what makes Baltimore County a community.
Of course the biggest reminder of the spirit of this community was our collective response to Hurricane Isabel. More than eight hundred career and volunteer firefighters responded to that storm, far too many to recognize tonight.
Instead, Baltimore County will give each of those men and women a visible and constant reminder of their service.
The County is issuing a new campaign ribbon to all eight hundred who worked so hard during the storm.
Service. Dedication. Protecting each other from harm. These are the things that bring us together, and set this community apart. I have been fortunate to have lived my entire life in Baltimore County. I have seen over and over a willingness to serve and I am proud that we can honor that spirit tonight.
You should be proud too, those of you who are receiving awards. And your families and loved ones as well. Thank you for your dedication, your service, and your courage.
Revised March 26, 2004
Courthouse 