THE FIRST RESPONDER

Maria Potter

Firefighter Paramedic, Buckhannon Fire Department

SUPERPOWER: Reliability

A decade ago, Maria Potter would have never guessed she would become a career firefighter. The lifetime Buckhannon resident earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology at West Virginia Wesleyan College and pursued emergency services after taking an EMT course. She wanted to expand her work in health care, so she got her associate’s degree in nursing from Davis & Elkins College.

For the following 10 years, Potter practiced as a registered nurse and worked part-time at a local EMS agency, which is where she met her husband. In 2017, the two decided to join the fire department to assist with EMS and rescue. Although she had no interest in firefighting, she decided to take the certification as a challenge to herself. “When I was a college athlete, I realized I had a competitive itch. Firefighting satisfied that for me, too, with the competitive and physical nature of it.”

Facing the mounting challenges of nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic, Potter decided to make the move to become a full-time firefighter. Not only did she find her physical niche in the new field, she also found the work–life balance was perfect for her family. “My husband and I have a 10-year-old daughter, and she was 7 when I got the job. I work 24-hour shifts, so when I’m at work, I’m at work, and when I’m at home, I’m at home.” The fire department is also a family-friendly space, which allows Potter’s family to share meals and time together. Her crew even playfully refers to her as “Grandma,” a nickname she earned by passing her civil service test at the “advanced” age of 34—the cutoff is 35.

Potter says her faith, along with her love for her community, drives her to do the best job possible. She especially enjoys sharing fire prevention education and giving tours to kids at the fire station. “There’s a lot of pride that comes with fire service,” she says. “It helps me stay focused and driven.” She credits her colleagues and mentors at the station, and she says she hopes to be a mentor to others on their firefighting journeys as well.

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