As most of you know all of the St. Mary's County Fire Departments are 100 percent volunteer with the exception of the NAS Patuxent River Fire Department.

On Dec. 3, Bay District VFD Company 3 ran its 1000th call for the second year in a row.

Bay District Company  9 will pass 900 calls, explaining why we are the busiest department in the county.

With growth in area expanding, these numbers will continue to climb for most of the departments in the area.

However, what some people do not know about the firefighters throughout the county is the amount of time and effort in order to keep the Volunteer Fire Service going.

The Volunteers of St. Mary's County have families, jobs and other hobbies not including the Fire Service.

For most of us, some of this is sacrificed especially; time with our families to help our community in doing what we love to do.

We as 100 percent volunteers have to maintain/gain qualifications through college accredited courses and seminars in firefighting, attend training drills and business meetings, maintain, research, purchase and specify apparatus or fire engines the tools and equipment on the engines, trucks and heavy rescues; and comply with National, State, County & Department Standard Operating Procedures. Not to mention the administrative side, meetings, collateral duties and etc. to maintain a Fire Department, just to name a few of our responsibilities.

We do this because we love this job and want to help people, the community and ride fire trucks, of course. We don't need a pat on the back, praise or recognition although, it is appreciated when we get it.

Many of the members are families, fathers and sons/daughters, generations of Volunteers and we carry on our "Tradition" and "Brotherhood" that only Firemen can understand that can be traced as far back as the early 18th century.

Finally, we would like to thank the community for their outstanding and continued support in the 65 years since our department opened, without you we would not have the opportunity to have the job we enjoy so much.