First Responders: Firefighter Barbara Crawford

MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) - We roll to the Marion Fire Department to meet a woman that goes above and beyond for the community. We take a ride with Barbara Crawford.

“It’s all about giving back to our community. It’s all about giving our glory to God. If we don’t do it, then who’s going to?” Crawford said.

Barbara Crawford is a volunteer firefighter in Marion and Sam Dale volunteer fire departments.

“I actually wanted to get into it for the EMR medical side. I’m now going into through EMR classes, as well as doing this,” Crawford explained.

Crawford’s husband has been a first responder for about 30 years, but it wasn’t until her son got involved that she became interested.

“Being a parent, I wanted to know what my son was facing going into a fire and they only way I could do that was going through the classes myself,” Crawford said.

Crawford has a kind and gentle heart. She’s all about taking care of others and making sure those around her have what they need. She said it’s all about serving the community and doing what we can for the betterment of society.

“First responders as a whole are supposed to be lighthouses to our community. If we can’t shine and let our community see us doing good, then what good is it for us to be here,” Crawford explained.

There’s no doubt that there’s a gender gap in fire departments everywhere. That didn’t intimidate or stop Crawford from becoming a part of the team. She even sees it as an inspiration for anyone that wants to have a positive impact on others.

“It’s not all about little boys making a difference, you can make a difference. I’m 54-years-old. For my 54th birthday I ran into a burning building at the training facility. It’s just showing people that no matter your age, gender or race, you can make a difference,” Crawford said.

Crawford said she will always volunteer and help spread positivity in the world for as long as she can.

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