First Ladies

Summer Sanders (left) and Gracie Landry made up the first all-female engine company in Spartanburg County at North Spartanburg Fire Department.

We were happy to take some time to talk with North Spartanburg firefighters Summer Sanders and Gracie Landry a couple weeks ago.

It’s not every day you get to witness a little history.

For two years, Engineer Gracie Landry and Captain Summer Sanders, along with a part-time partner, made up the first all-female engine company in Spartanburg County.

We talked a week before Landry’s last day at the North Spartanburg station, as she’s moved to the Lowcountry. Both reflected on the pride they felt in their position.

What does an engine company do? Just about everything you think of when you hear the word “firefighter”.

“I think we’re the fun engine company,” Sanders said. “I think it’s the best job to have. Our priorities are stretching the lines and getting to the water supply. We can force doors. We can put fires out. If there’s a rescue to be made, we can do that. To me, it’s the best job in the firehouse.”

Landry agrees.

“I’ve always had a passion for engine work,” she said.

So what’s in a typical day for an engine company?”

“Coffee, first and foremost,” Landry said with a laugh.

That’s around 7:45, when they arrive for an 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. shift. They’ll check the trucks out first, making sure that gear and airpacks are ready. There’s typically training in the mornings, and then they’ll have lunch together. There are projects to do in the afternoon, including a remodel of the Asheville Hwy. station currently. Then they’ll either cook or go to supper together, and spend some time cleaning the station.

And that’s just what they’re doing if they aren’t attending to calls. Which isn’t often.

“We’re pretty steady,” Sanders said. “If we go a 24-hour shift without a call, that’s a rare occasion.”

The pace, and not knowing what each day will hold, is appealing to the women.

“You go from a job where you do the same thing over and over again and it gets really monotonous; and then you come here and it’s never the same,” Landry said. “You learn new things every day. You meet new people every day. It’s different every day, and it makes every day exciting all over again.”

Some of that excitement comes from engaging with the community.

“We can go out and put in smoke alarms and talk to people who we’ve never met,” Sanders said. “It helps develop relationships with the community.”

Those relationships often include the opportunity to serve as role models, particularly for little girls.

“Every little kid gets excited about a fire truck,” Landry said. “But when little girls see us come off of a rig, it’s a really good feeling. They can relate to us, and they know they can do this, too.”

That’s part of the reward. The biggest part, though, is being able to help their neighbors.

“There’s just a natural instinct to help people, even off the job,” Sanders said.

Landry agreed.

“Sometimes, there’s not much we can do,” she said. “But sometimes, what we’re able to do makes a huge difference.”