What do you do professionally outside of HTFD-23?
Human Resources Manager of Workforce Analytics for a Facilities Management Company

Tell us a little bit about you and your family, how long have you lived in the community and what do you like most about being in Mullica Hill?
I live with my fiancé, son, and stepdaughter.  I have lived in Mullica Hill for 3 years, Stacie, my fiancé, has lived in Mullica Hill for 6 years.  I love living in Mullica Hill because we have a healthy balance of the American lifestyle; open fields and farms, forests, a true main street, local and big business at our access, and can still reach city culture in a short drive.  We also have a community that is polite, courteous, and cares about one another.  Turnout from the community after the unfortunate tornado is proof of this.

What do you enjoy doing in your “free” time?
I enjoy camping, hiking, target shooting, working on and around our home, playing music, and playing games with my family.

What inspired you to join HTFD-23 – have you been a volunteer before?
Shortly before the tornado hit our community, I realized that I had all that I wanted in life; a loving family, a wonderful home, and a prestigious career.  There was still a void however, where something was missing.  I realized that this was a need to offer more to my fellow human beings, a need to offer something of myself to help others.  The day the tornado hit, after I knew that my family was safe, I drove straight to the firehouse to see if there was anything I could do to help those in need, as a former volunteer firefighter*.  Though there wasn’t much I could do directly at that point in time, it did show me exactly what I needed to do going forward.

*I was a volunteer firefighter for a short period of time over 15 year ago, after high school.  I did not receive any real formal education and did not perform a lot of duties.  I did however, go to college for Fire Science.

Since you have been involved, what has the experience been like and is there anything specific that stands out to this point? (Something that you did not know about being a volunteer that would be interesting to audience) The experience that I have had since joining HTFD-23 has been fantastic.  The people exemplify the meaning of “giving back”, the training exhibits the definition of professionalism, and the bond has been tremendous.  It is hard work, and requires dedication, but has been incredibly rewarding to say the least.  A tough but equally important task a firefighter must learn is to be completely ready for an emergency situation.  Did you know that a firefighter only has 2 minutes to get ready?  This includes removing your shoes, donning your turnout pants/boots/jacket, putting your flash hood on, donning, tightening, and turning on your SCBA, putting your mask, helmet, and gloves on, and then attaching your SCBA to your mask.