Congratulations to Past Chief, veteran Firefighter and Exelon employee Brian Ficke for recently receiving a $20,000 grant for the Prince Frederick Volunteer Fire Department.
Ficke, who is a Senior Site EP Specialist for Exelon at Calvert Cliffs, was recently nominated for the grant after a submission highlighting all of his accomplishments at our department over the years.
Exelon recently selected Ficke because of his tremendous accomplishments, they say, “Nearly three decades of responding and helping others when they are ‘having the worst day of their lives’ hasn’t worn down Ficke. Every call is a new way to make a difference in someone’s life.”
We are extremely proud of Firefighter Ficke and his years of dedication!
PFVFD’S ORIGINAL SUBMISSION FOR THE AWARD:
When someone is having a terrible day, Exelon employee and dedicated Prince Frederick Volunteer Fire Department member Brian Ficke is there to make it better. Over the last nearly 30 years, he’s unselfishly given his spare time to save countless lives in Calvert County with his CPR abilities. He’s also saved many lives on auto extrications in the area and even once helped to rescue a dog from a 40-foot well.
In August 2014, on one specific call, Brian responded to a home on Hallowing Point Road where a car crashed into it. The accident left the home in a partial collapse situation. Brian arrived and instantly took command of the scene. There were many variables he had to juggle on the accident, including maintaining the integrity of the home and getting the driver out of the car and to the hospital as quickly as possible.
According to a Southern Maryland News Net article the car went airborne, “The vehicle began to skid/spin in a clockwise direction, leaving the roadway to the right, and traveled approximately 115 feet off the roadway. The black Nissan further struck the support pole to the front porch of the house, approximately 3 feet off the ground, where the vehicle struck the southeast corner of the house causing substantial damage to the house and car.”
Through the call, Brian was able to guide his crew during the technical extrication process – and the driver was successfully rescued. Running calls is only one portion of what Brian Ficke has done (and continues to do). As the head of the Calvert Chief’s Council for three years previously, he guided and lead all of the other fire station leaders in meetings and helped those departments to achieve their monthly and yearly goals.
Brian was also responsible for implementing the Calvert County Hazardous Materials Response Team, putting together standard operating guidelines for PFVFD and creating a long-term budget plan for our fire station. In addition, he oversaw the purchase of three pieces of multi-million-dollar apparatus including two fire engines and a large tanker. Because of Brian’s impact on PFVFD, the station is on a top level and the relationship with the community is stronger.
