Meet Firefighter/EMT Maddi Schulist

Where are you stationed?
Station 8 (Lien Road) on the 'B' shift.

Have you always wanted to be a firefighter? 
I didn't know what I wanted to do after graduating high school. I decided to take the fire academy while thinking about career options and fell in love with it.

What has been one of the most rewarding experiences of your career up to this point? 
One of the most rewarding experiences of my career so far was treating a very sick infant while working at my previous service. It was a very scary situation for the family and stressful for our crew. 

After the call, the parents reached out and invited our crew to meet their daughter once she had fully recovered. Getting to see her healthy and smiling after such a frightening situation was incredibly impactful. Moments like that remind me why I chose this job, and seeing a positive outcome and knowing that our actions helped that family is something I’ll never forget.

In what ways do you see your role within the fire department contributing positively to the Madison community?
I hope that my life experiences and previous employment will help me connect with the Madison community in a meaningful way. Within the fire department, I see my role as not only responding to emergencies but also contributing to the overall well-being and trust of the Madison community.

Where do you see the future of the fire service heading in regards to the delivery of emergency medical services?
I think the future of the fire service will continue to grow in the direction of integrating more EMS and community health initiatives. MFD is already doing an amazing job with this — programs like CARES, the Community Paramedic program, and the paramedics on the ambulance really show how committed we are to meeting the needs of our community in different and innovative ways. These efforts allow us to provide care that’s not only fast but also appropriate and compassionate for each situation. Continued growth in these areas could help get people the right care even faster and also help balance the workload across the department, especially for our paramedics who take on such a demanding role. 

Do you have a favorite book or movie that you would recommend?
I love reading and read so many books I don't think I could pick a favorite.