Congratulations to Javier Packer

On 5 September, Probationary Firefighter (PFF) Javier Packer of the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company (OVFC) received the Greg Croft Rookie of the Year Award for 2025.

Javier was voted into the OVFC in October 2023 and promptly joined the “Alpha Crew” that mentors’ new operational members. He was very anxious to learn and become a part of the organization. He enrolled in the first available Firefighter I class in 2024, which he successfully completed in April 2024. He also completed Hazardous Materials Operations and other required courses such as Incident Command System and CPR/AED. He worked aggressively to get cleared to ride on the fire engines and began responding as a Probationary Firefighter in July 2024. Javier will be taking the Emergency Medical Technician class in the fall.

PFF Packer is a member of the Sunday night duty crew but comes in at other times during the week to supplement staffing. Since being cleared to ride a year ago, he has responded to 314 fire calls (as of 31 May). During this same period, he has been on duty for 132 shifts totaling 1508 hours, which is a testimony to his commitment to learn and serve. At a recent company training drill, he outworked most of his peers on basic firefighting skills. He is eager to help the new members taking Firefighter I to master their skills. He recently received the Outstanding Member of the Fourth Quarter of 2024 from the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association.

In addition to his operational contributions, Javier is also an active member of our Public

Information and Social Media Committee. He takes photos of company events, such as awards

presentations and promotion ceremonies, for posting on the company website, social media

pages, and local news outlets.

The OVFC is very fortunate to have enthusiastic new members like Probationary Firefighter Javier Packer to maintain the vitality of the organization.