Member, 1978-1990

Lieutenant Daniel Raskin joined the fire company on June 6, 1978. Danny had a passion for the fire service, helping people and promoting safety. He quickly rose to the rank of First Lieutenant. He worked for the
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) where he investigated major
incidents nationwide. On July 9, 1990, Danny responded on Engine 501 to a barn
fire and was critically injured when the swivel fitting on the engine’s front bumper
failed and disconnected under pressure, striking him on the chest, face and
head. Danny succumbed to his injuries at the Maryland Shock Trauma Unit on July
16 at the age of 31. Danny was a true leader and mentor and very well-liked and
respected among the fire service community as well as his co-workers at the
NTSB. A monument sits in front of the station as a memorial to Danny’s sacrifice
in the line of duty.

Member 1961-2023
Fred joined the fire company on September 11, 1961, and passed away at the age of 82. He served as Company President for 19 years (1966, 1968-69, 1971-72, 1979-1988, 1991-92, and 2006-07). Fred not only served his community, but worked tirelessly in the service of firefighters and other first
responders throughout Baltimore County and Maryland. He served as the President
of the Baltimore County Volunteer Firefighters Association (BCVFA) in 1975-76,
and the Maryland State Firefighters Association in 1995-96. He was inducted
into the BCVFA Hall of Fame in 2002.

Member 1967-1982
Francis Lightfoot Fenwick joined the company in 1967 at age 18 and quickly rose up through the ranks. He served as 3^rdLieutenant, 2^nd Lieutenant and 1^st Lieutenant for several years. He was also a career Pump Operator for the Baltimore City Fire Department, on Engine 46 in NW Baltimore. He was a calm, mild-mannered guy who was also the consummate professional. He chaired the committee to build the second Engine 501, the Oren, which at the time was state-of-the-art. Along with piloting fire engines, Frank had his pilot’s license and owned a small airplane. Unfortunately, on March 28, 1982, the airplane that Frank was piloting had trouble during takeoff and crashed in a wooded area, killing all onboard. Frank was only 33 years old. The owl in the rafters of the Engine Room is a reminder of Frank’s vision that he would return as an owl and watch over the company.

Member, 1963-1999

Bill Newberrey’s father helped found Chestnut Ridge VFC and Bill became one of our early firefighters until he went to Vietnam as a Marine. When he got home, he served as a paid firefighter for the Baltimore City Fire Department and a volunteer at Chestnut Ridge and at Owings Mills VFC. Bill brought the station into the modern era by ensuring there was a water supply to fight fires in the new communities being built without a public water system. After a big house fire where Engine 503 used up its 1,000 gallons of water almost immediately, Bill said that we need to bring more water to the Ridge. One year later, Engine Tanker 503, equipped to carry 2,500 gallons of water, was delivered to the Ridge. Sadly, Bill died before we took delivery of our second engine tanker in 1999.

Member 2012-2018

Sholom Reches joined CRVFC in January of 2012, just 2 1/2 months before his 18th birthday. He quickly obtained his Firefighter 1 certification as well as his EMT. Soon after, Sholom studied for and received his paramedic certification and became a top responder on both the fire and EMS side. He served as EMS sergeant and was a good friend to many. Sholom also went to Israel alongside other members of the BCoFD to assist with EMS during times of conflict. Sholom died unexpectedly on April 5, 2018, just 3 weeks after his 24th birthday. He is loved and missed by so many.

Member 1989-2024
Gene graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Gene worked with multiple government agencies and the Armed Services to train on foreign chemical and biological weapons. As a member of the Baltimore Mayor’s Hazardous Materials Advisory Council, he was known as HAZMAT-10 and was a special advisor for Baltimore Metro area fire, police and the Maryland Department of the Environment. Gene’s perpetually calm, soft-spoken and unflappable demeanor made him an in-demand resource. He carried turnout gear in his car at all times and responded to about 30 hazardous material accidents a year. One notable call was the Howard Street Tunnel fire of 2001 where 60 CSX freight cars derailed. Today, we rely on our phones or a computer to give us the information at a Hazmat incident. But “back in the day,” Gene’s expertise kept many first responders safe from the dangers of unknown chemicals, gases and mixtures.

Member 2003-2021
Mallory “Mal” Roody was just 33 years old when she died unexpectedly of natural causes. Mallory was a young woman whose character is what we think of when we say the words Volunteer, Firefighter, Family, Dedication, Love, Passion and Loyalty. Mallory dedicated countless hours to our firehouse and was always helpful and friendly to everyone she met.

Member 1967-2024
Charlie joined Chestnut Ridge Volunteer Fire Company in 1967 at the age of 16. He was a noted fire memorabilia collector, particularly in the area of antique fire items. He retired from F.L. Anderson Company, a fire department supply business in Baltimore, as vice president. After retirement, he continued working as a consultant in the area of fire department supplies for Safeware Inc. Charlie authored two books related to the Baltimore City Fire
Department and the F.L. Anderson Company.