Auburn Hills Morning Optimists Honor Firefighter of the Year-Melissa Macek
(Auburn Hills Public Safety Director Doreen Olko, Oct. 22, 2014)
On Thursday, October 16th, the Morning Optimist Club honored one of our paid on call firefighters, Melissa Macek.
I first met Melissa when she was a student at our Citizen’s Police Academy a few years ago. It was clear that she was deeply interested in a career in public safety. After she finished the Police Academy, she took the Fire Department Citizen’s Academy and she started with the Fire Department as a paid on call firefighter in November 2011. She completed Firefighter 1 and 2 certifications and got her Emergency Medical Technical license. In addition to working shifts and going on fire calls, she works additional details some of which are as a volunteer. She is the assistant coordinator for our fire cadet program and guides young adults as they learn about a career in the fire service.
She helps with the firefighters’ charitable organization, Helping Hands, that assists families in our community during the holidays and when they suffer a fire in their home. She also volunteers at the Senior Center helping out where she can.
One thing that has consistently impressed me about Melissa is her constant effort to improve her skills. I see her around the station working with inspectors or practicing her ladder skills with other firefighters on a consistent basis.
We are proud of her achievement – way to go Melissa!
Originally published at http://ahpdchief.wordpress.com/2014/10/21/auburn-hills-morning-optimists-honor-firefighter-of-the-year-melissa-macek.