FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (June 2, 2011) -- On his 16th birthday, Keith Stumpf followed in his father's footsteps and signed up to be a volunteer firefighter in Charlestown.
More than 20 years later, Stumpf is being honored as the 2010 Installation Management Command's Northeast Region Office Army Firefighter of the Year. He was named winner of the annual award in March and he now is competing for Department of Defense Firefighter of the Year.
The Firefighter of the Year award is given to an Army firefighter who is defined as going "above and beyond his pay grade" in numerous categories including training, development of programs and community work, said Chief Joseph Van Meter of the Directorate of Emergency Services fire station.
Van Meter said Stumpf's service record at Fort Meade put him in the running for the award.
"This guy has done some pretty remarkable stuff," Van Meter said.
Stumpf has served as a firefighter since he first volunteered in December 1990. His father, Walter, also signed up to be a firefighter at the age of 16 and was a volunteer for more than 20 years. Stumpf's younger brother, Chris, also volunteers as a firefighter.
"It was in the blood," Stumpf said.
Stumpf began his career as a federal firefighter in October 2005, when he joined the fire department at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg. After two years, Stumpf transferred to Fort Meade, where he serves as a driver, operator and firefighter.
Driving the ladder truck is the best part of the job, Stumpf said. And despite offers to move closer to his home in Rising Sun, he has no intentions of leaving Fort Meade.
"I'm not leaving here ... no way," Stumpf said. "I want to run calls. All we do here is run calls. That's why I love it."
Stumpf said he also enjoys working closely with the community, including showing children on the installation the mechanics of a fire truck.
"That's what the whole job is about," he said. "If it wasn't for these people here, we wouldn't be here."
Since arriving at Fort Meade four years ago, Stumpf also started the Child Safety-Seat Program and headed the CPR and Public Access Defibrillator programs.
Van Meter said developing or spearheading a program is criteria for the Firefighter of the Year award.
More than 100 members of the Fort Meade community have been trained through the CRP program. Since the start of the Child Safety-Seat program in March, Stumpf and 10 other firefighters have been trained to inspect car seats.
"Keith raised the bar to take extra hours of training" to help train fellow firefighters and help the community, Van Meter said.
Stumpf had approached fire station officers about implementing the programs.
"Both [programs] are tremendous," Van Meter said. "[Stumpf is] well in line with officer level for somebody doing above and beyond."
Due to his irregular schedule, which includes shifts of 48 hours on duty and 72 hours off duty, Stumpf has not been formally recognized for his achievement.
"I haven't even had a Firefighter of the Year award at my volunteer station," he said. "Having this down here is pretty cool."
Over the years, other members of the Fort Meade fire station have received the award, including Capt. Timothy Massey, who won last year.
The bar for a nomination from station officers is set a little higher at Fort Meade, Van Meter said.
"We're setting a precedence," Stumpf said.
The Fort Meade fire station will be notified of the winner of the DoD level award in August. But for now, Stumpf said he is happy with the recognition he has already received.
"I hope I make it to the DoD one, but at least I know the chiefs here recognize the work that I did," Stumpf said. "So even if I don't get an award out of it, I've been recognized."
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