Like everyone else, I am defined in who I am by the things that I do. Aside from my husband, our three orange tabby boys, and our Belgian Malinois, I have three great loves in my life - emergency medicine, the military, and dogs.

I am an EMT in the Great Frozen Wasteland™ that is upstate New York and work with a small but busy rescue squad. We have three ambulances and usually have two of them on the road, doing transports to the larger medical centers two hours away for referrals and specialized treatment, or emergency calls in our local area, which includes a large military base.

Aside from being an EMT, I am certified through the ICISF (International Critical Incident Stress Foundation) in Individual Crisis Intervention / Peer Support and Group Crisis Intervention, and by FEMA to hold just about any position on the Incident Command staff (which is a scary thought indeed).

I am a newly promoted 1LT in US Civil Air Patrol, the Air Force Auxiliary. The squadron I belong to is based on an Army base and specializes in Emergency Services, specifically search-and-rescue and disaster relief. Our squadron is a composite squadron, comprised of both adult members and cadets.

As the Health Services Officer for my squadron, I teach first aid, maintain files with medical information, and act as a medic during training, encampments, and missions, making sure everyone is taken care of. I am additionally a Skills Evaluator / Trainer, Radio Operator, SAR Ground Team member, and one of two CISM personnel in the region.

Lastly, I love dogs. I especially love training and working them. My previous dog was a German Shepherd with whom I did Therapy Dog work as well as sheep herding. My current dog is a former police K-9 with whom I have competed in obedience, rally obedience, and police K-9 competitions. She is also trained in scent work and searches for explosives scent. And, of course, she can easily take down a "bad guy".