Sitting outside of the Lewisville Fire Department station bay, sophomore Maci Thetford, then 4-years-old, waited with her mom as her dad, Emergency Medical Service Division Chief Brandon Thetford approached her in his firefighting uniform.
Maci’s eyes widened as she grabbed her father’s hand.
Walking towards the towering fire truck, her dad picked her up and placed her in the seat near the steering wheel. She peeked out of the driver’s seat window while her mom smiled and her dad gave her a tour of the vehicles inside the fire station bay.
“My mom and I would go a lot growing up,” Maci said. “My dad always used to let me look around the bay and get inside fire vehicles no matter how many times I had already seen them.”
Whiteboards lining the EMS classrooms were filled with colorful Expo marker doodles Maci had drawn during her visits.
Chief Thetford’s eyes lit up as he watched his daughter’s fascination with ambulances grow.
“My favorite moments of Maci as a kid was just seeing her climb all over the engine and ambulance and pretend to drive,” Chief Thetford said.
Her dad encouraged her to spend time at the fire station to get more real life experiences with medical emergencies and adapting to a medical atmosphere.
“The more I went up to the station with the crew, the more I realized I was really into the fire fighting aspect as well.” Thetford said.
Her original goal was to be a trauma surgeon and perform life-saving surgeries, but after spending more time at the station, she began participating in physical tests, trying on firefighting gear, pulling hose and learning to put out fires.
Towards the end of her sophomore year, she learned about Texas Education Career Center; classes for medicine and fire fighting. She was confident she wanted to take those classes to get more hands-on experience.
On Jan. 16, Maci applied for the program by writing an essay for her application that served as a time capsule for all the memories she’s shared of her dad introducing her to the station.
One concern Maci had was entering a traditionally male-dominated field. The firefighting program would help her build strength and prepare for the aspects of firefighting she hasn’t practiced.
If Maci is accepted into the program and enrolls, she would graduate with five firefighting certifications and an EMT certification, allowing her to work as a full-time firefighter right after high school.
Her long-term goal is to become a trauma surgeon while working as a firefighter to graduate college debt free.
“Finishing the firefighting course would be a huge opportunity and stepping stone to accomplish what I wish to do in the future,” Maci said. “Not a lot of people get the opportunity.”
While Maci was growing up, much of her Dad’s time was spent at the station, but whenever she had a concert or a school event he always tried his best to make it. Night shifts often meant moving holiday celebrations to fit his schedule.
“I missed birthdays, holidays, school events, and sporting events,” Chief Thetford said. “That’s just part of being a firefighter and working on shift.”
Chief Thetford also grew up around the fire station, inspired by his own father. He realized he wanted to become a firefighter around age 13 — the same age Maci was when she began spending more time at the station.
“Like me, my dad wanted to help people,” Thetford said. “He found a chance to make an impact.”
Her dad’s attitude towards firefighting has inspired her the most. He believes in order to do the best at his job, he has to be influenced by others who have a servant attitude. Introducing Maci to the emergency response scene early, gave her the chance to develop that attitude first hand.
“She gets to see and be influenced by firefighters and paramedics that are constantly serving others,” Chief Thetford said.
Maci has witnessed her dad jump in at the opportunity to help someone no matter the situation. He helped her realize that people can be really good in the world, and has inspired her to want to do the same for other people.
“Some of the most horrible and mentally scarring things he’s seen in this field,” Maci said. “I’ve never seen him think negatively about a situation.”
Despite her supportive environment, Maci once doubted she could pursue firefighting. At age 6, she developed severe anxiety after becoming sick, making it difficult to be around hospitals, doctors, or the station.
Maci’s anxiety and phobia of illness made it hard for her to be around sick people. For a while, she felt like medicine and fire fighting wouldn’t be possible. As she grew up, the fear slowly went away, and she is grateful she will be able to continue pursuing her dream career.
“If I told myself I was in the position I was in today, I would never believe myself,” Thetford said. “It controlled so much of my life and affected the way I was at school.”
A few months after going to the station for the first time, Maci told her dad she wanted to pursue firefighting and emergency response as a career. Her dad explained to her some of the things he’s seen on the job are things people normally don’t see during their day to day lives.
Emergency response can be emotionally devastating, he wanted to make sure Maci understood the emotional toll the job can take.
Helping other people and changing everyday lives is what he encourages Maci to enjoy, but he also emphasizes the difficulties and challenges that come with it.
“Making a difference can be saving someone from a burning building or heart attack, but it can also be lifting a grandmother off the floor who needs serious help,” Chief Thetford said. “Many people we see have no one else to help them at that moment so for them we are making a difference by showing up when they call for help.”
Maci gets to see some of those experiences firsthand when helping her dad. As EMS chief, he works in the office, but as soon as he hears the two alarms fire, he drops everything to prepare for the intense environment.
Maci has experienced firsthand some of the difficulties of emergency responders. First responders often interact with people on what could be the worst day of their lives. One of Maci’s first calls involved hearing a panicked caller on the phone before the alarm rang.
“It can really take a toll on you and the way you view the world,” Maci said. “I realized how many things I was lucky to have.”
Recently, Maci applied for an internship at Lewisville Medical Hospital, where she hopes to shadow an emergency physician and gain hands-on experience.
Sharing firefighting with her dad has strengthened their bond.
“My dad was always there when I needed him,” Maci said. “He influenced me so much and has huge responsibility for who I am today.”
Being able to share special moments of both of their lives together meant a lot to Maci.
Brandon is proud to introduce his daughter to the professional and enjoys her curiosity.
“It’s a very rewarding career, and everyday is different so it never feels like you’re doing the same thing all the time,” Brandon said. “It has never felt like a job in my 26 years because there’s always something new to experience and new things to learn.”
While the job can be difficult, Maci is grateful for the perspective her dad has given her
“I just realized how extremely lucky I am,” Thetford said. “The reality of firefighting and EMS is one of the greatest jobs out there, it’s not just always joking around. When I become a fire fighter, I’ll actually get to save people.”
