Recently volunteer Fire Chief John Morrison of Vienna was named the Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year by the International Association of Fire Chiefs. John was instrumental in the development of a Volunteer Management System uniting all 12 Fairfax County volunteer fire departments into a single portal to share resources, metrics and information.
The IAFC has honored one volunteer and one career firefighter annually since 1996. The Fire Chief of the Year award goes to a person who has “shown exemplary contributions in the areas of leadership, innovation, professional development, integrity, public service, and contributions to the fire service,” according to the IAFC. The other honoree, James Clack, of the Ankeny, Iowa Fire Department, is Career Fire Chief of the Year.
Morrison has been with the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department for 23 years. Starting as a volunteer at age 16, he quickly became an emergency medical technician (EMT). He was promoted to firefighter in 2002 and became volunteer chief in 2010.
As fire chief, he oversees operations and training of the department’s 60 and counting volunteers. By building relationships with both volunteer and career personnel, the department has increased operational and training hours by 44 percent over 10 years.
Morrison is also a planning section chief for Virginia Task Force 1, Fairfax County’s urban search and rescue team. Since 2005, he has taught entry level, Firefighter I and Firefighter II classes at the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Academy.
His development of a Volunteer Management System (VMS) gave departments a single place for operational, training, and administrative data. This system has united all 12 Fairfax County volunteer fire departments into a single portal to share resources, metrics and information. Aside from his volunteer fire work, he is a senior lead technologist at Booz Allen Hamilton.
Credit: Vienna Patch, August 6, 2019
Walter Camp
Story of Service: Walter Camp
Descriptions like “tireless” and “dedicated” are often applied to volunteer efforts, but Walter Camp’s commitment to service gives these expressions a new level of meaning. Those who work alongside Walter know that when he serves a cause, he doesn’t just talk about it. He is known for putting in the hard work to make things happen no matter the task at hand. As Secretary of the Virginia Beach Clean Community Commission, he went above and beyond his normal role to join other volunteers in the 2021 Great American Cleanup, helping scoop debris from the Virginia Beach shorelines in his kayak...
Backpacks of Love Cumberland Elementary School Coordinators
Story of Service: Backpacks of Love Cumberland Elementary School Coordinators
Congratulations to Backpacks of Love Cumberland Elementary School Coordinators of Cumberland County -- winner of the 2017 Virginia Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Educational Institution! Backpacks of Love, Inc., was born out of a personal mission from its founder Bobby Fulcher, who personally struggled with food scarcity while growing up. Backpacks of Love provides wholesome food to school children in the counties of Powhatan, Cumberland, and Buckingham, so that they don’t go hungry over the weekend. Backpacks of Love’s highly engaged board members collect all donations, distribute food items to schools, and solicit community and corporate sponsors....
Lori Schmiege & Huey Gordon
Story of Service: Lori Schmiege & Huey Gordon
National Service Alumni of the Year Huey Gordon & Lorie Schmiege, CARITAS, Richmond Both AmeriCorps Alums with CARITAS, the dynamic duo of Lori Schmiege and Huey Gordon manage the CARITAS Furniture Bank operations. Lori, who served from 2010-2011, and Huey, who served from 2011-2012, both react with empathy and a resolve to “get things done,” attitudes they developed as members. They are also both willing and happy to coach and mentor other AmeriCorps members and ultimately show these members how to be excellent employees when they move on to the workforce. Since joining CARITAS staff, they have mentored 40 AmeriCorps members...
Andrew Richards
Story of Service: Andrew Richards
Andrew Richards, Virginia Service and Conservation Corps National Service Alum of the Year Andrew Richards served from 2017-18 as a Resource Crew Leader with the Virginia Service and Conservation Corps AmeriCorps program at Hungry Mother State Park in Marion. He and his team served by battling invasive species conducting prescribed burns, applying herbicides/pesticides, and maintaining trails. Andrew also participated in various restoration projects throughout the region, including helping to restore native species habitat and completing a new trail for the Virginia State Parks system. He led his crew by adopting modern technology and introducing new methods of data tracking and...
Amber Matkowski
Story of Service: Amber Matkowski
My experience with AmeriCorps was truly life changing. I completed two years of service, during my junior and senior year at Christopher Newport University. Alternatives Inc. is such a warm and friendly organization to work with. They made it a priority to train us not only to be thorough workers, but to be passionate advocates, exceptional leaders, and supportive team members. They showed me the importance of knowing your program and your team inside and now. By the end of my AmeriCorps service, I felt like I could quickly and efficiently solve problems and take on big challenges. I am...
Samantha Bradley
Story of Service: Samantha Bradley
Teaming Up with an AmeriCorps Member to Make Her Dream of a Military Career Come True Teresa Thompson, an AmeriCorps member with the Carroll County Public Schools Lift Up AmeriCorps and winner of the 2015 Robert E. Wone Award, recently shared an inspirational story about the impact of national service on a young person in her program. Teresa says student Samantha Bradley described herself in the past as a troubled teenager, but completely changed her outlook after the birth of her son. Working up to three jobs in addition to attending school where she excelled in her school work, Determined...