Meet Firefighter/EMT Ava Jambor

Where are you stationed?
I'm at Station 2 (Grand Canyon Drive) on the ‘A' shift.

What did you do before working for MFD? 
I was in college at UW-La Crosse studying Public Health and Spanish. I was working part-time jobs as a lifeguard and a bartender during that time. 

Where did you grow up?
In Middleton, so pretty close! 

What's it like to serve your hometown?
It's really rewarding. I've never had any family members or friends in the fire service. I was a volunteer in Middleton for a couple years while I was in school to see if I would like it, and I fell in love with it. It was really cool to work with people who want to help people, and it's always a super fun environment to be in. But also humbling at the same time.

What sparked your passion for the fire service and EMS? 
I had a random conversation with a former firefighter, Rick Miyagawa, when I was lifeguarding at my hometown pool. He came to swim and we got to talking, and he asked if I ever considered firefighting. I was like, "No." He said, "If you ever don't like what you're studying, you should go up for MFD, because there's no pre-requisite to apply." I thought about it, got back to school, and thought, "Huh, maybe I don't like what I'm doing!" So I applied. 

How did your previous education or work experience help prepare you for this role? 
I think my work in Public Health taught me how to talk to people because a big part of public health is meeting people where they're at, no matter what their circumstances are. I think that's helped me approach every fire call or medical call with that kind of open-mindedness.

What was your favorite part of the Recruit Academy?
Just being around the same people every day and seeing the progress that we all made as people. I still feel like I can call them for everything. The relationships I built were definitely my favorite. We were in the same boat, in terms of the struggle, so it was nice to have someone you can talk to about it with. You can't always talk about it with friends and family if they don't understand.

How do you see your role within the fire department contributing positively to the Madison community? 
I just want to be a face in the community that people can see and say, "Oh yes, I feel safe. I feel supported." I want to be able to keep the reputation of MFD alive as being one of the best fire departments for many reasons, especially the community outreach. 

What are you doing when you're not training? 
I'm usually outside, spending lots of time with my dog, Stanley, and being able to hang out with my friends and family as much as I can.