A Lifetime of Service: David McCormick

Sep 12

3 min read

For David McCormick, the fire service has been a part of his life for nearly 50 years.

At the age of 16, David followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Bryans Road Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad in March of 1977.

He grew up in the Bryans Road area in a family of volunteers. His father served as a paramedic and engine driver at Bryans Road, while his younger brother served as a volunteer firefighter and his older brother as a paramedic. Each had careers and responsibilities outside the firehouse while giving their time in service to the community they called home.

David carried that same commitment into his own life.

Throughout the years, David has remained deeply involved in the department, serving in many positions along the way, including multiple terms as Chief and Assistant Chief. Today, at 65, he continues to serve as Assistant Chief.

His partner, Donna, says he doesn’t miss a call. It’s in his blood and in his nature. When the tones go off, David is often the first one on scene.

That commitment to service extended into his professional life as well. David worked for the government in emergency preparedness, a role that took on particular significance on September 11, 2001.

As the attacks unfolded that morning, David made sure the emergency plan under his responsibility was safe and secure. Then he went straight to the fire station, gathered a crew, loaded their equipment onto Engine 112 and headed for New York City.

They had not been sent. David and the other members made the choice to go and help. Donna didn’t even know David was headed to New York until he was on the Turnpike.

The Bryans Road crew made the roughly 248-mile trip to New York in the department’s new Engine 112, where they would spend several days assisting with rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero. They worked wherever they were needed and slept on the apparatus between shifts. During their time there, members of the crew helped free a trapped Port Authority police officer. Another group of Bryans Road members later made the trip to New York to relieve them.

It was one of the most significant responses of David’s long career, but it was also a reflection of the way he had already been living his life for more than two decades.

Throughout his career, David has received numerous recognitions for his service. He has been named Member of the Year multiple times and has received an Assistant Chief Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also inducted into the Southern Maryland Volunteer Firemen’s Association Hall of Fame and received an award for outstanding service from the Charles County Volunteer Firemen’s Association. His commitment to responding has also earned him several awards for most overall calls.

The recognitions span different points throughout his career, but together they speak to his dedication, leadership, and longstanding commitment to the volunteer fire service.

Donna describes his love for the fire department as something that has been buried in his heart for many, many years. You can still see that commitment today.

You can see it when the tones go off and David is on his way. And you can see it in quieter moments at home, when his grandchildren put on his fire helmet and he turns on the lights and sirens for them.

For a family whose history has been so closely tied to the volunteer fire service, there is something special about watching another generation experience a small piece of something that has meant so much to David throughout his life.

We had the pleasure of meeting David and Donna at the Ocean City Fire Conference. Donna wanted to honor his service with something that represented the years he has given to the fire service and something he could wear proudly.

They chose a Maltese Cross.

Behind that cross is far more than a number of years served. It represents family, community, leadership and a lifetime of service.

Nearly 50 years after David first joined Bryans Road, he is still serving as Assistant Chief. And when the tones go off, he will continue to answer.