Two Anne Arundel County firefighters retire after years of service

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — Two Anne Arundel County firefighters are throwing in the towel after battling fires in the community for more than 10 years.

The Anne Arundel County Fire Department announced on Sept. 1 that Firefighter II, Jimmy Johnston and Firefighter III Randy Ramaglia are both retiring.

Johnston is leaving the field with 38 years of service under his belt. He spent most of his career in the fire department’s Special Operations Stations.

Over the last several years, Johnston maintained the firefighters’ equipment and worked in the Logistics Support Section.

Ramaglia also spent most of his career in the First Battalion working at stations 12, 26 and 33. Before serving the Anne Arundel Community, Ramaglia was a squad leader of the Army Ranger Squad with the U.S. Army.

He was a part of the Mogadishu firefight in 1993, when a Blackhawk Helicopter was shot down. The event escalated into a bloody battle, marked by heavy fire from both the U.S. forces and Somali militia.

Following the event, Ramaglia shared his story on several outlets and participated in documentaries that shared the horrors of the battle.

This includes the Netflix documentary, “Surviving Black Hawk Down,” where he recalled the unforgettable moments of the fight.

We wish both Jimmy and Randy the best in retirement, and we thank them for their dedication and commitment to both the residents of Anne Arundel County and the United States of America,” said the Anne Arundel County Fire Department in a post on social media.