Julie Yahnke: Firefighter keeps focus on family Archives: Smart Self

ABOUT JULIE YAHNKE
Occupation: PC administrator for Ettline Foods
Volunteer: Firefighter and EMT with Station 34 in Red Lion, fundraiser leader with Leo Enterprises
Age: 31
Family: Yahnke and her husband, Joe, have a son, Aiden, 7 months old
Municipality: Red Lion

By BETH VRABEL for Smart

What has made you so dedicated to community service?
I saw an ad in the newspaper in Stewartstown to be an EMT. It just kind of sparked my interest.
One of my EMT teachers encouraged me to try firefighting class. That’s how I met Joe (her husband). He was one of my instructors.

What is the hardest part of being a firefighter?
There is so much training to keep up on, hours and hours of training. To start, you need 88 hours, and then it just builds. In one year alone, I’ve probably taken 500 hours of classes in evenings and on weekends.

What is it like to have your husband also work in the station?
That’s probably the best part, and it’s probably why I’ve kept up with it. It’s something in common (that) we can do together.

Has Aiden impacted how you approach firefighting?
It’s been a challenge now with Aiden, because one of us has to stay home. I do more administrative side now. I’ve taken over as president. I’d rather be doing the firefighter side.

Does the danger involved impact you more now that you have Aiden?
Sometimes when we both go out, we have talked about it. If it’s something major, only one of us should be doing physical work so if one of us is injured the other can take care of him.
We have a really safe team, and everyone really watches each other’s back. But I’ve had plenty of injuries; I’m pretty accident-prone. They’ve actually given me a bubble suit.

Is firefighting something Aiden will get into?
I hope so. If not, he’s in trouble.
I also want Aiden to know that whether he chooses the fire department or not, he should volunteer time to help others.

What is the draw of firefighting?
Once it’s something you get into, it’s in your blood and you just stick with it. You’re giving back to the community, and just to help others, helps you. We do this as a team.
There is no greater satisfaction than being able to help someone in a car accident, or see an AED (automated external defibrillator) do its job, or save a house, and yet we also live with the disappointment when the opposite happens on a call, but learn from each experience. And we are able to improve on our abilities with each call.

What advice do you have for other women who want to take on careers that are typically thought of as male only?
Anyone can do it. You just have to put your mind into it and know what you’re getting into.

Are you a hero?
I know that’s what we’re called, but I don’t look at it that way. Some people volunteer at the library, some volunteer at the SPCA. We volunteer at the fire company. I know it’s considered more dangerous than those, but what you get back from the community from volunteering can’t really be explained.

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