JULY - SEPTEMBER 2020 | VOL.50 | NO.3
ATTORNEY ANSWERS THE CALL TO THE FIRE SERVICE Michael Geleta is not your typical volunteer firefighter. The 59-year old assistant attorney general is a volunteer firefighter with the Taylor’s Island Volunteer Fire Department.
In the evenings after work, he attended class at the Lower Eastern Shore Regional Training Center in Princess Anne and occasionally at the Secretary Volunteer Fire Company in Dorchester County before the class transitioned to online learning.
According to the Dorchester Star, Geleta handles child and adult welfare safety for Wicomico County’s Department of Social Services. He started with Wicomico County in 2004, transferred to Dorchester County in 2009 before returning to Wicomico in 2017. Seeking a change of lifestyle, the Philadelphia native and his wife left their New Jersey home in 2004 to raise their children, who are now adults, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Geleta knew he needed to answer the call. The department requires two people at the station in order to respond to a call. There were only 5 individuals at the time who were active.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Geleta’s commute from his home to the Salisbury office was only an hour. Since his office has closed due to safety measures and precautions, Geleta works from home when he’s not in court.
“Our community is relatively small,” said Geleta. The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau reported its population of 173 residents, smaller than Smith Island with 276 residents.
Geleta told the Dorchester Star he became a firefighter after some members at Taylor’s Island Volunteer Fire Company “applied pressure” over time. He credits fellow Taylor’s Island resident Griff Livingston, a retired firefighter from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, for encouraging him to answer the call and volunteer with the unit. “He was frank and told me, we need reliable people,” said Geleta.
There are several fire departments such as Taylor’s Island across the country facing the same fate of retaining members. In 2017, the Maryland State Firemen’s Association issued a call to action in recruiting fire and EMS personnel. Geleta’s introduction to the fire department started in January of this year, participating in ride-alongs. This is when he enrolled in his first course at MFRI - Firefighter I – where he would be introduced to new challenges. volume 50 | no. 3 | p 1
Gelata found the ground ladder to be a challenge. “I’ve never been on a 35-foot ladder before, it was such a scary experience. By the time we finished t he c ourse, c limbing the 35-foot ladder became second nature to me,” he said with a laugh. In his interview with the Dorchester Star, Geleta noted how important it is to recognize that “older people” can help to meet the need for volunteers at local fire companies. “Mike has proven to be a valuable member of the Taylor's Island Volunteer Fire Company family,” said Patti Tieder, president of the fire c ompany. “ He i s a great example of how someone can become a firefighter no matter their age or occupation. We are all so proud of what he has accomplished and are looking forward to working with him to serve the members of our community.” Next to the ground ladder, live drills in the burn tower and confined space maze were also stressful and challenging. He looks forward to enrolling in his class this fall, which is Firefighter II.