Where are you from? Michigan

What is your role in the department? I started in 2020 as a volunteer and was hired as a full time Firefighter/EMT-I in 2022. 

What made you want to join JH Fire/EMS? Growing up, we have a structure fire training burn on a condemned house across the street and I remember watching my Grandpa and the rest of the crews work to put it out. They had one female on their department, who I really admired. After moving to Jackson and being settled in to the community, I finally a good opportunity to make it happen. My grandpa was a firefighter for over 60 years and my dad is currently lieutenant and runs the dive rescue program.

What are your current certs? Fire 2, EMT-I, Wildland Firefighter Type 2, Ropes Rescue Technician, Hazmat Operations, and Swiftwater Rescue Technician, Apparatus Driver Operator (ADO-P), Fire Instructor 1

What are your future goals in the department? I’d like to become a (para)medic. Mostly, I just want to focus on being good at what I have before rushing to get the next certification or next promotion.

Do you have any side hustles? I am a ski instructor at JHMR, property caretaker and I teach wilderness medicine for Desert Mountain Medicine. 

What do you do in your free time? I enjoy being outside with my husband and dogs, skiing, biking or rafting

Favorite part of the job/volunteering? Everyday is so different. Every call you have an opportunity to make a difference for someone from the community or someone who is visiting the community. Every interaction has an opportunity to leave an impact, whether good or bad.  

Most satisfying? I think the most rewarding is helping people on their worst day and making it a little bit better. 

What advice would you give new recruits? Work hard, learn hard and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Keep learning but take your time to do it well.

What do you wish you had known when starting? I wish I felt ok not knowing everything. 

What is the most valuable trait for someone on the department? Being flexible and being willing to do what needs to get done, even if it’s not the most fun thing. 

Since being hired, have any parts of the job surprised you? Not really…I’m a watcher, so I tend to grasp a lot of things that people don’t necessarily catch. I like to have a good grasp of something before I jump into it which obviously can’t always happen. So I feel like job-wise, nothing has surprised me because of that tendency.