First women join NB fire department

By Barbara Brown
Last weekís initiation of two new firefighters may not have seemed like big news for many, but for the North Branch fire department, the event was historic.
For the first time in its 108-year history, the North Branch Fire Department welcomed two female firefighters to the force.
Christi Burnside-Fisk and Andrea Sauve both have faced tough jobs in the past and both have nothing but success in mind.
Fisk, a 31-year-old mother of three, has always had a desire to be a firefighter.
Fisk served in the Marine Corps as a Stinger gunner with an air wing. That means she fired Stinger missiles.
While in the Marines, Fisk completed firefighter training, required as a working crew member on an airstrip.
ìIíve always thought it was exciting,î she said. ìI watched some of the firefighters on the airstrip when they had to put out a helicopter that caught fire and I was just in awe.î
Fisk, 30, said taking the physically and mentally challenging tasks put to her by firefighting should not be any different.
ìI went through 13 weeks of boot camp,î Fisk said. ìIf I can handle that, I can handle this.
ìIím not saying itís going to be a piece of cake, itís going to be hard. But, Iím looking forward to the challenge.î
As far as being one of two newbies on the block at the fire house, Fisk isnít concerned at all.
After all, she was one of two women in a battalion of 450 in the Marines.
ìI know for some of the guys it might be hard at the beginning, but Iím sure weíll all get used to it.î
Fisk works for Green Acres County Care Center where she is the volunteer coordinator.
She said her job fits perfectly with the demands of an on-call volunteer firefighter.
She said her boss, Steve Mork, was supportive of her quest and approved her leaving the center for the times that she may be paged for duty.
ìIím not nervous,î she said. ìIím excited, anxious.î
Fisk said her 6-year-old daughter Ashley is excited about her mom becoming a firefighter.
Ashleyís motives may be a little self-centered, however.
ìThe first thing she asked me when I told her that I was going to fight fires was if she could ride in the fire truck,î Fisk said.
Sauve, 20, already has one year of firefighting service under her belt.
The North Branch resident worked for a year at the White Bear fire and rescue where her cousins are a captain and an assistant chief.
She said the North Branch department will be a new experience for her, however.
The White Bear department has about 20 women divided between two stations and now Sauve is in a new department where she is only one of two women.
ìIíve thought about that a little,î Sauve said. ìBecause Iím going to come in and work with all these guys and Iíve thought about how they are going to feel about it.
ìBut, it was fine in White Bear and Iím sure it will be fine here.î
Her interest in firefighting may have come by accident. Sauve said when she was a junior in high school teachers started asking what she wanted to do for a career.
For lack of a better answer, Sauve said the first thing she thought was interesting. Firefighter.
ìThe more I checked into it, the more I liked it,î Sauve said.
Sauve is coming off a one-year hiatus from firefighting. She is taking classes to earn her criminal justice degree and is scheduled to take the correction officer test tomorrow for Chisago County.
She also is signed up as a smoke chaser for the stateís Department of Natural Resources where she would be used to dig out trenches for fire breaks in case of grass fires.
Sauve said her family, including an older half-brother and half-sister, is supportive.
ìBoth of the jobs I love are dangerous jobs,î Sauve said. ìI know that something bad could happen on the job, but I donít worry about it.
ìIf it happens, it happens. But Iím doing what I love so thatís the way it goes.î
Fire Chief Don Brown said he was happy to see two women so qualified land slots on the force.
Most of the time, the fire department is not looking for new firefighters because of lack of openings.
However, with two firefighters set to retire, and one dispatched over seas with his unit of the National Guard, Brown had a unique opportunity to bring on new firefighters.
Both the women met the first two top criteria of the application screening process, Brown said. Both had training and both were available for daytime duty.
Brown was especially drawn to Fisk because of her military training and her persistence to have a spot. He said he was drawn to Sauveís application because of her previous experience, training and aspirations.
ìI look at the candidate,î Brown said, ìnot the gender.î
ìIt used to be an old boys club,î Brown said of the North Branch department. ìItís evolved quite a bit.î

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