Volunteering with Southampton Fire Company led Jill Etris to become a nurse in the Neonatal ICU and work as an EMT.

“I always wanted to be a firefighter and quickly realized I wanted to be an EMT as well,” said Jill. “I loved both of them so it led to my career in healthcare and helping people.”

Jill is currently taking courses to earn a Pre-Hospital Registered Nurse (PHRN) certificate to work as a nurse on an ambulance. However, school did not always come easy to her.

“Volunteering is what helped me graduate high school to be able to go to college,” said Jill. “School was hard for me but I needed to maintain a certain GPA to volunteer, so I needed to persevere in order to do what I loved.”

Jill’s love for the fire service started when she was very young.

“My daycare was across the street from a fire house and I would watch the trucks leave more than I would pay attention to my teachers,” says Jill. “My favorite day of the year was when they would come visit my school and we would get to see their trucks.”

Jill joined Southampton Fire Company as a junior firefighter at 14. Now 30, Jill is a volunteer firefighter, EMT and Fire Prevention Officer, who loves everything fire prevention.

“Fire prevention week is one of my favorite times of year. I love making a difference to children on our school visits,” said Jill. “When they come running up to me at our open house to tell me they saw me at their school and are excited to tell me what they learned during our presentation, it makes me so happy to know I am a role model who is making a difference in more ways than just putting out a fire.”

To any females considering volunteering, Jill says, “Do it!”

“It’s sometimes hard to see yourself doing something that has traditionally been male-dominated. We rarely see female firefighters on TV or in children’s books growing up; they’re almost always men. But we do exist and we can do it! You’ll be surprised what you’re capable of doing once you just start.”

Find out what you’re capable of as a volunteer! Sign up at www.JoinSouthamptonFire.org.