Melissa Washburn and her daughter Brooke work side by side at the Good Hope Station, Hampden Township Volunteer Fire Company.They said it's easier to be ready for whatever comes their way because they know they have each other to rely on and learn from.It certainly isn’t every day that we get to work alongside our moms.
Brooke had also been working toward becoming a fire police volunteer, a role that helps direct traffic and crowds often at a fire scene. But it was when her mom began training to become a firefighter that Brooke decided to follow in her mom’s footsteps. Melissa became a certified firefighter two years ago, but just last month, after balancing a full-time job and college classes, Brooke completed the required classes and became a certified firefighter as well.
Over the course of the past four and a half years with the volunteer fire service, the Washburns say they have learned so much about the job – and even more about each other.