Andriana Sanger
2020 Greg Croft Rookie of the Year

Adriana Sanger of the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company (OVFC) is the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association Greg Croft Rookie of the Year award winner for 2020.

Adriana joined the OVFC in January 2019 at the age of 16.  Over the following 18-months, she has become one of the most active and dependable responders.  She completed Firefighter I within five months of joining and went on to finish her required training and clearance process on the fire apparatus by the end of the year.  In just the last four months of 2019, Adriana responded to 153 calls.

Adriana is never one to be satisfied with meeting the minimum requirements.  She enrolled in EMT training at the end of 2019 and completed her EMT course in January 2020.  During her EMT training, she also completed training as an Emergency Vehicle Operator, in anticipation of eventually serving as an ambulance driver.  In 2019, she completed 177.5 training hours and has completed an additional 200 training hours from January to June 2020.  Adriana has also been spending extra time assisting our Firefighter I students with their station-level training practice as well as going to their practical evolutions to help whenever she can.

The global coronavirus pandemic forced OVFC to place restrictions on apparatus staffing in early 2020, including EMT student ride-alongs, but Adriana was first in line to finish her ambulance clearance process once those restrictions were lifted.  She is now a cleared ambulance aide and responded on 84 fire calls and 69 ambulance calls in the first six months of this year.  She also completed additional certified training for Rescue Technician – Vehicle and Machinery Extrication and Instructor I, not to mention graduating from high school in May.  She is currently working for a private ambulance service and is exploring the paramedic program at Anne Arundel Community College.

Adriana’s high level of enthusiasm and dedication serves as an example to her fellow firefighters and EMTs, even those who are her senior in both age and experience.  She approaches medical and fire calls with equal enthusiasm, and never hesitates to participate in training and maintenance duties.  She has earned the respect of both career and volunteer members with her great work ethic and positive attitude.  She is a skilled cook and will often provide cakes and pastries for crew birthdays or a Sunday brunch at the firehouse.  In addition to her operational duties, she is on the Quartermaster Committee and supports the fundraisers and public education events.  Adriana is very active in her church and served on a mission to South Africa last year.

Adriana comes from a family of firefighters and EMTs.  Five members of the Sanger family, including her parents, brother, and sister are all members of the OVFC.  The Sanger family was this year’s MSFA Family Appreciation Program Award winner.