She’s one of five Storm King Engine female firefighters
Lina Yang is one of five female volunteers, ranging in age from their 20s to 60s, currently active with the Storm King Engine Company. Yang recently completed the second part of a two-class course so she can help battle exterior and now interior fires. Yang was able to complete the course all while raising two children on her own, going to college, and balancing a job along with the hours she logs as a volunteer.
“When people tell me they don’t have time [to volunteer] I always point to her,” said Storm King Engine Company Fire Chief Mike Trainor. “Her kids do everything with her. When she comes down to the fire house for weekly drills the kids will be there with her. They sit and watch TV while she does her training. It’s hard to believe nobody can find the time when somebody like she can.”
Yang, 41, is a six-year resident of Cornwall-on-Hudson, but she only joined the fire department about a year ago.
“I had no idea that I was able to do that as a younger person,” Yang said. “When I came into the village I saw volunteers were needed and saw the older gentlemen there. I thought, ‘if they can do it, I can do it.’”
Growing up, Yang had a lot of mentors and people who took care of her, looked after her, and guided her throughout her life. She wanted to give back to the community and thought becoming a volunteer was the best way to do that.
Up until recently, Yang had only completed the 79-hour exterior firefighting course, so she was limited to setting up ladders, working the nozzle, and helping her fellow fire fighters battle an interior blaze. To date, she’s responded to mostly medical calls and one fire. She’s taken courses to become a licensed Emergency Medical Technician, but just needs to take the state test.
In March, she and two other volunteers, Patrick Donavan and Ian Stuercke, began the second half of the course, an additional 50 hours learning interior firefighting operations, as well as how to handle a self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA.
Yang said the pack isn’t heavy and feels more like carrying a back pack, but the difficulty comes in making sure the breathing apparatus is inserted in the mouth properly. During the course she learned how to control her breathing so she doesn’t run out of air while fighting a fire.
In terms of interior fire fighting training, she learned proper victim search and removal techniques, survival skills, tactical ventilation techniques, basic power saw operation, forcible entry techniques, and hose line advancement. She also learned how to cope with being in a confined space and not being able to see through smoke, all while trying to orient herself and not panic.
“It was nerve wracking the first time,” Yang said, “but the instructors were really great. They showed us the proper protocols and everything that needed to be done to make sure that we were safe before we actually did the drills. I felt more comfortable going into it.”
During the course, the trainees have to make their way through a burning building located at the Orange County Training Center. As she made her way through the smoke and flames, Yang remained calm while she made sure she didn’t leave any potential victims behind. She also had to be cognizant of the whereabouts of her partner.
In her class of 40, Yang was honored to be selected as one of four squad leaders.
Looking ahead, Yang plans to take a course to learn how to become an officer. While she’s not sure if she would pursue a leadership position with the department in the future, she said she’s leaving her mind open to the idea.
As one of only a handful of females out of the 25 active members in the department, Yang said she doesn’t feel out of place. In fact, she said it’s empowering and wishes more women would join.
“They see no color, race, or gender,” Yang said of the male volunteers. “We’re all treated equally. The things we’re good at, they will help us to excel. The things we do need help with, they’re more than happy to help us so we become better at it.”
