Odenton Volunteer Fire Company Member Receives Award

On June 4, 2021, Lieutenant Erika R. Nesvold received the 2021 Public Safety Officer of the Year Award (Firefighter) sponsored by the Central Maryland Chamber.

The Odenton Volunteer Fire Company (OVFC) is comprised of many members of diverse backgrounds, none more so than Erika who has a doctorate in astrophysics. She is presently employed designing software for astronomical simulation games. She also runs a non-profit organization dealing with the ethical issues of space exploration and is finishing a book on that same subject. You wouldn’t suspect Erika’s educational background if you saw her deftly handling a high-pressure firehose or skillfully tending to a seriously ill or injured person. She’s not Dr. Nesvold at the fire station; she’s Lt. Nesvold.

Erika joined OVFC in June 2003 with no background in emergency services. She began a long program of fire and medical training as she also pursued her professional career and education. Since joining, she has taken over 1000 hours of training, responded to over 2700 emergencies, served on many of our committees, held several leadership positions, and actively participated in OVFC's community outreach programs and fundraising efforts.

Erika’s first OVFC leadership position was as Assistant Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Coordinator in 2007 through 2009. As she gained more experience and training, and as her leadership skills matured, she was promoted to Lieutenant in 2014. She was the first woman promoted to this supervisory position in the history of the fire company. She is widely respected due to her knowledge, sound judgment, calmness under pressure, and fair treatment of all members.

Erika has also held significant positions of responsibility in the administrative functions of our fire company. She was elected to the Board of Directors in 2013, 2014 and 2015 as the Recording Secretary. She prepared detailed minutes of our general membership meetings and Board of Directors meetings in a very timely manner. As a Board member, she participated in the development of policy that guided the operation and direction of our fire company. Erika has also held key positions on many important committees, including Bylaws (13 years), EMS (9 years), Uniform and Honor Guard (8 years), History and Archives (3 years), Social Media (2 years) and Strategic Planning (1 year).

Erika’s professional background clearly shows her commitment to education. The same has been true in her service in the fire department. She has continued on a steady path of training and advancement since joining in 2003. She has taken the following major courses:

Emergency Medical Technician (requires recertification every three years)

Firefighter I and II

Hazardous Materials Operations

Emergency Vehicle Operator and periodic refreshers

Truck Company Operations

Aerial Apparatus Operator

Pump Operator

Rescue Technician

Instructor I, II and III

Fire Officer I and II

As a result of her extensive training and experience, she is now fully qualified for promotion to captain in the Anne Arundel County Fire Department.

OVFC’s community outreach activities have been severely curtailed over the last year due to the pandemic. Previously, Erika actively participated in the community education programs such as Odenton Day/OVFC Open House, Fire Prevention Week school visits, children’s birthday parties, and fire station tours. She is very effective in communicating with small children about fire and home safety. She has also been a CPR instructor in the past, providing citizen CPR classes in addition to training our members.

Lt. Nesvold is a very valuable member of the fire company, both operationally and administratively. She serves as a role model and mentor for other members due to her demonstrated abilities, enthusiasm, and commitment.