Newspaper Page Text
LIVING LOCAL
Vol. 141, No. 3
Section B
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Local
woman blazes through barriers
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Logo credit: By J.
Howard Miller - U.S.
National Archives
and Records Ad
ministration, Pub
lic Domain, https://
commons, wikime
dia.org/w/index.
php?curid=80242715
Editor's note: In 1987, the
United States Congress des
ignated March as Women’s
History Month after the Na
tional Women’s History Project
petitioned for the expansion
of the week-long observance.
Women's History Month is a
time to reflect on the historical
contributions of women and
to highlight achievements in
the modern age. The women of
Burke County continue to over
come stereotypical barriers as
they step into roles traditionally
associated with men.
A Burke County High School
graduate is burning down ste
reotypical barriers as she fights
fires in an industry primarily
dominated by men.
Sarah Frye stepped into the
role of firefighter in 2019. Fill
ing those shoes is no easy task
for the 23-year-old female who
stands just under five feet tall.
Her comrades affectionately call
her “Small Frye.”
The county is no stranger
to female accomplishment. In
the mid-1980s, resident Di
ane Bethel became the first
female fire officer in the State
of Georgia, according to Chief
Administrative Assistant Am-
ylia Lester.
Like Bethel, Frye is learning
to serve a dual purpose, func
tioning both as a firefighter and
an emergency medical techni
cian. Training, that enables her
to become state certified, is
provided at the Burke County
Emergency Management Agen
cy located on Hwy 24 South.
Frye is one of four female
firefighters, employed by the
department that consists of 12
stations. In comparison, there
are 96 men.
Frye was initially drawn to the
advanced EMT side of her job.
However, she is not intimidated
by the male-dominated environ
ment or the physical demand
associated with extinguishing
flames.
“I actually really like it a
lot,” she said of the firefighting
aspect of her job. “I feel like it
makes me a stronger person.”
Firefighters are required to
maintain a daily weight-lifting
regime and must pass a yearly
physical agility test.
“There is a physical aspect
to their job, whether it is lifting
patients or putting out fires, so
that is part of their actual work,”
Lester said.
Physiological and morpho
logical differences require that
Frye exerts more effort than her
male counterparts to achieve the
same level of success.
“I have to work much harder
than some people do because I
have to be strong,” she said. “I
have to make sure I am ready
to go. For most men here, it
does not phase them at all to
do something like that. I have
to work out a lot.”
Still, Frye described her male
co-workers as supportive,often
assisting her in figuring out
ways she can accomplish tasks
by herself.
“They don’t let me give up,”
she said. “They tell me I can
do it.”
So far during her career, Frye
has tackled car fires, hay fires
and an abandoned structure fire.
“I actually walked through a
whole held of sand to get to that
one,” she said of the latter. “So,
that was rough.”
Being female has its ad
vantages, according to Frye.
Female patients often feel more
comfortable being treated by a
woman EMT. Paving the road
At right: Sarah Frye, left,
and Chief Administrative
Assistant Amylia Lester,
right, fold an American
flag March 3 outside
of the Burke County
Emergency Manage
ment Agency.
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for younger girls, Frye is met at
elementary school appearances
by students who are in awe of
her female firefighter status.
She recommends the career for
anyone willing to put forth the
effort.
“This is not for everyone,”
she said. “It depends on what
you want. You have to really
want it to succeed in it.”
At right: Burke County
High School Graduate
Sarah Frye is learning
to serve a dual purpose,
functioning both as a
firefighter and an emer
gency medical techni
cian.
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SHELLIE SMITLEY