VIDEO: When she is not busy with her school work, you can find Bailliรฉ McCall on duty at the Truxton Fire Department.
โBailliรฉโs been awesome,โ said Second Assistant Chief Darwin Smith. โEver since sheโs joined, sheโs shown great initiative toward everything that weโve tasked her with. Sheโs always there, sheโs a go-getter.โ
The go-getter attitude stood out to firefighter associations at both the county and state levels.
Recently, Bailliรฉ won the Dan Newton scholarship. The Cortland County Fire Chiefs Association awards the distinguished honor. Bailliรฉ also secured a second scholarship from the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, or FASNY.
She was one of 25 people statewide selected for that scholarship.
Bailliรฉ is the youngest member of the department at just 18 years old. She joined right when she turned 16. Her interests were sparked by the BOCES Firefighting and Emergency Medical Technician Program.
โIn the first year, youโre going to get your exterior firefighting and second year, youโre going to get your EMT,โ said Bailliรฉ. โOne of the requirements was that you had to be a firefighter, and so thatโs when I was like, I want, to do this program.โ
Bailliรฉโs love for the job quickly blossomed, so much so that she is using her scholarship funds to enroll at Onondaga Community College and its Fire Science program.
