Joy Ponder: Battalion Chief
Ruth Olson: Engineer
Anna “Weesie” Pigman: Senior Firefighter
Bentley Andrews: Senior Firefighter
Sarah Gilgen: Firefighter
Amber Hartsburg: Firefighter
Battalion Chief Joy Ponder puts on her fire gear before rushing to a call downtown. Ponder is the first woman to become a battalion chief in the Asheville fire department.
Turnout gear weights more than sixty pounds. While the fifteen pound coat, thirty pound boots and trousers, and thirty pound oxygen tank protect firefighters, the cumbersome equipment also weights them down.
On line, one of Amber Hartsburg’s tasks is attaching fire hoses to the hydrant. The metal splitter takes a good deal of force to screw into position.
One of Bentley Andrews’ hobbies is jewelry-making. She often brings her work to the station so she can keep to herself during her free time.
David House and Anna Pigman sit in the office chatting and reading, killing time after a morning of training, waiting for a call.
At a festival downtown, Anna Pigman shows a few children one of the station’s fire trucks. Aside from putting out fires, one of the duties of a firefighter is teaching fire safety to the community.
Ruth Olsen makes a call to her eldest daughter instructing her on how to cook dinner.
Chief Ponder is a huge Wonder Woman fan. Her favorite superhero cup accessorizes her desk at work.
Sarah Gilgen practices climbing the ladder during one of the station’s morning training routines.
