Spokane Valley resident was recently hired as a firefighter/EMT becoming the department's first official part time employee. She has already volunteered with the department for two years.
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Airway Heights Fire Department (AHFD) officially christened its part-time firefighter program with the April 1 hiring of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Brenda Wittig.
Wittig, who lives in Spokane Valley, has been a volunteer firefighter with the department for the past two years.
"It is exciting," Wittig said. "I'll essentially have the same responsibilities-just with a title now."
Wittig initially gained interest in becoming a firefighter when friends in the Spokane Valley Fire Department would tell her stories of their day-to-day work. She said hearing these tales put her in awe and that she was a bit cautious as a woman and wasn't sure about her chances of getting hired.
"When they offered the opportunity to try out for the department here, I had to go for it," Wittig said. "I didn't want to live in regret or worry about what could have been, and I passed and made it through as a volunteer."
Wittig has three children and hopes to be an inspiration to them and to encourage girls and young women to work hard for their dreams. Especially in careers that are typically male-dominated.
"It's intimidating for sure," Wittig said about being a woman firefighter. "But you have to hang in there and work for it. You may not be the strongest, but you don't have to be. You have to be able to work with the team and do your part of the job effectively."
Wittig is a certified EMT with eight years of experience as a medical assistant.
"What makes her unique is that aspect of her training as a medical assistant gives her a different bedside manner when dealing with patients," said Airway Heights Fire Chief Mitch Metzger. "She is very calm and can communicate easily with the patients she has to work with on medical calls, which is a huge skill."
Metzger said Wittig was the only candidate out of 11 applicants who qualified for the position due to the department's high standards.
"Our citizens deserve the best," Metzger said. "So, we have to make sure we can take care of the community the best way possible."
Last year, AHFD officials asked city council for an additional six part-time employees to provide extra help at fire scenes and who could also assist with public education events, inspections, and training.
The council granted the request.
Metzger said adding and filling the additional positions will also help the department dispatch extra equipment when more than one emergency call comes in, which he said happens about 22% of the time.
Having filled just one of the six part-time positions, AHFD has to call in neighboring departments to assist with simultaneous calls.
"Fortunately, in our area, our training is done together, so we know the abilities of the people showing up," Metzger said. "Plus, we know the people by name, which helps in the overall connectivity of the local departments."
The fire chief said the department is still trying to fill the other five part-time positions.
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