Celebrating Black History Month: Local firefighter leads by example

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - Every week in February we’ll be introducing you to different leaders making a positive impact in the community for Black History Month. We're kicking it off by introducing us to a local Rural Metro firefighter serving the community and how her journey started.

Local mom Donina Carr has been a firefighter for over a decade. She said she was first introduced to the career after a fire captain stopped her in the gym one day while she was a student and asked if she ever thought about joining the fire service.

“He said 'We need more women in the fire service. We don't have too many women in the fire service, and, you know, it'd be a great opportunity.' So I asked him to tell me a little bit more about it because at the time I was going to school for criminal justice. So he told me about it, and I was like 'Oh that sounds fun.' And so I went to school the next day, changed my major to fire science, signed up for EMT, did my homework on what it is to be a firefighter and a woman in the service, and then that's how my journey started," said Rural Metro firefighter Donina Carr.

She’s loved the job ever since, but it’s far from easy.

“Just like military and police and the things that they see, we see things too. And once you see those things, you can't unsee them, " said Carr. "And I remember we're seeing people on the worst day of their lives, and we have to cope with that too."

But on hard days, she has her team to walk through it together.

“You spend a fourth of your life with them 24 hours every other day. They're like your second family, and that means a lot. There's not a lot of professions outside of military and police where you can say, you know, this is my family, this is my second family. You know, I would do for them what I would do for my own family, so they put their lives on the line for me when we go out. I put my life on the line for them when I go out," said Carr.

I got a chance to hear from them myself, each sharing what they love about working with Donina.

"We do rely on her a lot for everything around the station. She's very influential, and she does keep us in line," said Rural Metro Fire Captain James Hanchette.

“She's does keep us in task around here at the station, constantly keeps us going. But yeah definitely, she's a special person," said Rural Metro Firefighter Martin Guzman.

"Definitely keeps the station alive on a daily basis, getting us to do team activities and training together. And we do weekly or Sunday meals or whatnot. And yeah, she's a big part of that for sure," said Rural Metro EMT Jaimes Meza.

They’re always learning from each other, and when asked what type of impact she hopes to make…

“...To lead by example. Set a good example. Set a positive example," said Carr.

For anyone interested in the role, she encourages them to do their research and do it for the right reasons.

"After 9/11, all of a sudden people were like, left and right were wanting to be firefighters, and it was for the glory and for the status. And those are the wrong reasons. You know, those are the wrong reasons. Know what you're getting into. Some people get into and then they realize 'Oh wait, this is not for me. Oh, this is a lot harder than what I thought it was going to be. We have to do what?' So know what you're getting into, and you want to do it for the right reasons," said Carr.

Carr went on to add "Know what you're getting into. Don't just say 'Oh, I'm going to go out and be a firefighter.' Do your homework. Know what you're getting into. Know what the expectations are. Know what your roles are. Know the departments that you're planning on testing to you. Know. Know their history."