On Friday, May 5, 2017, St. Leonard Volunteer Fire and Rescue hosted the Calvert County Fire Rescue Commission's Awards Banquet. Numerous awards were given to well-deserving individuals throughout the county. The officers and members would like to congratulate all of the award recipients.

Among the recipients was the Chief of SLVFD, Chief Ricky Weems II. Chief Ricky Weems II has been inducted into the Calvert County Fire and Rescue Hall of Fame for his tireless service to the community and to the betterment of our organization as a whole.

Chief Weems, joined our department as a Cadet in 1987, becoming an Active Member when he turned 16 in March, 1988. He was granted Life Member status to the department in 2003 and has been very involved and an active member ever since. He has held numerous operational positions throughout this time; to include Engineer, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Deputy Chief Fire, Deputy Chief EMS, Assistant Chief, and, his current position of the past 3 years, Chief.

Chief Weems has received numerous awards & recognition over the years and given countless hours of traininig, meetings, and collateral duty. In his time as chief, he also has remained one of the top 10 responders of our department. He has maintained his level of activity and dedication while raising a family, that is also very active in the department (to include his wife, father, two brothers, and 20-year-old and 16-year-old daughters), as well as pursuing a career in local law enforcement with over 20 years with the Calvert County Sheriff's Office.

Over the years, Chief Weems has been instrumental in many accomplishments that the department has achieved. He has been a parrt of many apparatus replacement committees, written and obtained grants, sat on numerous committees, assisted in the annual budget process, as well as the writing and implementation of departmental SOG's and by-laws. In recent years, at his current position, he has been a part of many county-level committees, and in 2016 was able to obtain a third "Ready-Reserve" ambulance which was just recently delivered.

On Sunday, May 1, 2016 at approximately 10:00 am, an area box was dispatched to the 10000 block of Poplar Drive Lusby for the House Fire. Engine 71, staffed with driver Earnie Earnshaw and Chief Ricky Weems, marked up for the call understaffed with 2. They were within 5 miles of the location heading south to begin the say's activities at the Southern Maryland Fireman's Convention in Ridge. While responding, units were given additional information that there was one occupant (a 80+-year-old disabled female) unaccounted for, and believed to be in the kitchen. Engine 71 was the first arriving unit on the scene and reported heavy smoke and fire showing. Chief 7 quickly entered the residence by himself and without a hoseline, located and pulled the victim to safety in the garage where Safety Officer 7 was waiting to assist in removing the victim. The victim had suffered burns to approximately 90% of her body, to include her airway. Once out of the garage, the patient was turned over to an awaiting ambulance for medical treatment.

For all that he has selflessly done, and continues to do for not only us as a department, but the community we serve, we feel him worthy of this recognition.