One day in 1956, a paid firefighter took a few days off from his post at the Riva Fire Station in Anne Arundel, and volunteer firefighter Maurice “Snooks” Carr was asked to fill in.
But the firefighter never returned from his vacation — and Carr, 78, spent the next 35 years in that same position.
“I liked what I was doing, and saw no need to go anywhere else. I don’t need any bugles on my collar,” Carr said.
Even when he retired in 1991, Carr has volunteered at the station and served as its treasurer, in which he helped manage $1 million in new trucks for the station.
Carr was honored this past week for more than 60 years of service in the county’s fire department, never seeking a position higher than a standard engineman.
“One of the amazing pieces of this story is that Mr. Carr has spent his entire fire service life at one station,” said outgoing fire chief Daryl Stokes in a statement.
“That is rare indeed, and I am proud to report that he has been a steadfast and active proponent for state-of-the-art fire protection in Riva.”
He was honored by having one of the trucks he helped purchase named after him.
“It was a huge surprise. I didn’t know until I walked into the building,” he said.
“It was a good feeling to see a lot of guys whom I’ve worked with show up for the dedication.”
Carr’s career began in 1947 as a volunteer, following his brothers who also worked in the fire department while taking classes at the University of Maryland.
He worked at a time when central Anne Arundel was dominated by tobacco and dairy farms, and has watched the county change into a booming suburban community
Some of his more memorable experiences include the time he and other firefighters helped save a man from a burning house. It turned out the house belonged to the man’s wife, and he had set it ablaze following their separation.
As for his nickname of “Snooks,” Carr said his father gave it to him when he was born because “he said I looked so cute.”
And just as he followed his family into the firefighter business, so has Carr’s son, David, who is a lieutenant in the department.
Carr also drives buses for the public school system. Even as he approaches 80 years of age, Carr said he doesn’t plan to slow down.
“As long as you’re happy at what you do, that’s 95 percent of the job,” Carr said.
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