JMU student, firefighter can take the heat

Nathan Chiantella / photo editor Juggling work and school never is easy - especially for senior Sarah Krebs. For Krebs, being and EMT and volunteer firefighter makes it "impossible to stand back without trying to help."

When not producing music videos, senior Sarah Krebs, a Media Art and Design major, spends her time saving lives.

As a firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician for Hose Company No. 4, Krebs is on call all week for any emergency.

There are no set hours on the job, but for Krebs, work is just a beep away. "My pager sits on top of my TV in my room in Fox Hills, and there’s an identifiable tone that goes off that signals there is a call," Krebs said.

The department where she works has two stations. The tone determines for which station that call is. As soon as the tones drop, Krebs races it to her 4-runner and heads to the respective station. On the pager, the dispatcher tells the EMTs what to look for.

Calls come in for a variety of emergencies ranging from someone with chest pains to a car accident or a structure fire, Krebs said.

Krebs joined the fire department her sophomore year after reading a recruitment ad in The Breeze.

After volunteering at the fire house during her first year, Krebs fell in love with the job.

"I volunteered with Hose Company No. 4 Fire Department a whole lot, took a few fire training classes ... ," Krebs said. "I was interested in getting my EMT certification as well. I wanted to ... not only help out on the FD side, but also be able to provide patient care."

Krebs plans on continuing work as a firefighter/EMT after graduating, no matter where her career brings her.

Krebs has been able to use her skills as an EMT both on and off the job. "On vacation over the summer, I witnessed an accident in Myrtle Beach," Krebs said.

She was able to get to the scene of the accident quickly and tend to the victims until the ambulance came with stretchers.

"Being an EMT has helped me in life," Krebs said. "It’s given me the ‘go and get it’ attitude. Now I simply can’t stand back without trying to help in a situation."

Krebs encourages students to look in to volunteering.

"It’s really an awesome experience. It’s a great thing to have for a resumé, it’s a good life skill, and it’s great to have the mindset to be able to help in an emergency."