Into the Fire
Student balances school and firefighting
Sophomore Jennifer 'Jenni' Herrema has experienced many intense situations as a volunteer firefighter, but helping revive a patient whose heart had stopped was an experience she will never forget.
"I will always remember my first time doing CPR in the back of the ambulance on the way to the hospital with another medical first responder and getting pulses back on the patient," she said. "There’s no feeling quite like that."
Herrema is a volunteer firefighter and medical first responder for the Custer and Scottville Fire Department, being the youngest member of both. She has been volunteering at the Custer department for two years and Scottville for five months.
John Allison, Herrema's uncle, was the chief of the Custer fire department when she joined after her 18th Birthday. Herrema's uncle died last year when he had a cardiac episode after responding to an emergency.
"I learned so much from him throughout my life and could not have asked for a better role model," Herrema said. "Last year he passed away in the line of duty, but he will forever remain my hero, and my inspiration to give whatever I have to try to help someone in need."
Herrema completed her medical response training in her senior year of high school. She also completed additional medical training in areas such as CPR, bleeding and shock, trauma assessment, febrile seizures and diabetes.
This summer she completed trainings including pumper, search and rescue, boat training, jaws of life and extrication.
Herrema travels home to be on call every other weekend and holidays.
"Being on two volunteer departments, I have my pager on 24/7 when I am home, and I try my best to respond whenever I am called," she said. "It’s hard to leave my pager behind when I come to school during the week, but my education is also very important to me."
Eric Buter, who also serves on the Custer and Scottville Fire Department, said Herrema responded to a variety of calls in the past two years with grace and professionalism.
"She is very passionate about helping people on medical calls," Buter said. "She has the ability to be really calm and look at the big picture."
Mark Wahr has been a volunteer on the Custer Fire Department for 32 years. He said Herrema is one of the best newcomers he has ever seen.
"She is just a ball of excitement," Wahr said. "She puts 100 percent into everything she does plus another 50."
Herrema said the other volunteers in the department are like family to her.
"The support and love I have experienced through the tight bond we share is like none other, and I can’t thank each of them enough for what they do each and every day for other people," she said.
Herrema is a member Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity, and Speech-Language Hearing Club. She is also a part of the Honor's Program.
When fellow students learn that she is a firefighter, they are often surprised and fascinated.
"Most people ask, 'what’s the craziest thing you’ve seen?' which is a pretty hard question to answer because it’s always changing as time goes on," Herrema said.
Next semester, Herrema will take Isabella County Fire Fighting I and II, where she will rotate at different departments while taking college classes.
"The best part of being on the fire department is knowing that at the end of the day you did everything you could to try to help someone else," Herrema said. "Even if it’s just being there to go through it with them. I love seeing the incredible ways God works even in the toughest situations."
Herrema wants to a speech-language pathologist after she graduates, but also plans on continuing to be fight fires.
"I see myself being a firefighter for the rest of my life, at least as long as I am physically capable of doing the things expected of me," she said.
