Moms on a Mission: Saving Lives as Perryville Fire Company Volunteers

Perryville, Md...When her little girl began to choke, London McGill snapped from parent mode to EMT mode. Gracen, now 2 ½, had been eating a pretzel when a seizure struck.

“Everyone else was panicking, but I was calm,” remembered McGill, a Community Fire Company of Perryville Firefighter/EMT. “I had my training. I knew what to do.”

McGill flipped her daughter over and hit her on the back, frequently checking her airway until the pretzel came out. “Then I just held her until the seizure was done and she came back to,” she remembered of that day last year. Only then did McGill, now 30, hug her daughter and cry.

The moms of Perryville Fire Company say skills learned as volunteers have helped them keep their kids safe, and the skills learned from raising kids have helped them be better first responders. On Mother’s Day and every day, Chief Bradley Willis is grateful to have them.

“Moms are strong, compassionate, and determined. They know how to comfort people who are distraught, and they are keen organizers,” he said. “We need more people with these qualities at our firehouse, in many different roles.” Visit joinperryvillefire.org to learn more.

Perryville Fire Company Vice President Karen Reinhart, 71, has used the skills acquired while raising her daughter, Erin, now 46, and son John Jr., 39, in her roles as Perryville EMS captain, paramedic, and vice president.

“I have found myself watching over our volunteers, especially the younger ones, making sure they take breaks when they need to,” she said. “And I’ve taken a lot of young volunteers under my wing and supported and mentored them. They are my family, too.”

Reinhart was already juggling her kids’ schedules, a full-time nursing job with the Veteran’s Administration, and her volunteer EMS role with Perryville when she went to paramedic school. “My kids taught me to be organized,” she said, and that helps her
manage career services EMS schedules and payroll and assist with hall rental.

Giving What They Can

In addition to volunteering as a firefighter/EMT and raising her daughter, McGill is earning her PhD in molecular genetics at the University of Delaware. She’s also training for her first marathon.

It’s not just great organizational skills that help them balance everything, she and Reinhart agree, it’s knowing that Perryville Fire understands their volunteers have full lives, and no one is expected to respond to every call or attend every event.

“The time you have to volunteer varies depending on what else is going on in your life,” McGill said. “And you don’t have to be on the fire side or medical side – there are many ways to contribute to the fire company.”

“Even if you have a few hours, whatever you can give, and any skills you have, Perryville Fire Company needs you,” said Reinhart.

The Community Fire Company of Perryville has immediate volunteer opportunities in emergency and non-emergency roles. Fill out an inquiry form and learn more at joinperryvillefire.org