Burning down the house

When she’s not managing the office of the Psychology Department, Staci Francis is burning down houses — as a volunteer firefighter and an emergency medical technician in DeForest.

As part of her regular training drills, Francis, along with full-time DeForest firefighters and other volunteers, purposely set fire to old houses whose owners want to burn them down to build new ones.

“We put hay and straw in the fires at the houses to create as much smoke as possible,” says Francis. “We also hide dummies to practice “search and rescue.'”

Once the scene (and fire) is set, Francis and her peers climb up ladders on all sides of the building, saw ventilation holes in the roof, and then go to work putting out the flames and saving lives.

“I usually come away with just some scrapes and bruises,” says Francis.

Ever since she was a child and watched smoke spiral up her family’s chimney, Francis wanted to be a firefighter. Although she wanted to do it full time, she says she also wanted a four-year degree. “Fire fighting was a risky career for women at the time, and I figured I had better have a back-up plan. So I got my BS degree and then pursued fire fighting and emergency medical services after college,” she says.

And today, she says, she has the best of both worlds; she’s an office manager by day and a certified firefighter by night.

Francis hasn’t always been as fearless as she is today. In fact, the first time she went inside a blazing building, she immediately wanted to leave. “Smoke was all around me, and I couldn’t see a thing. I felt all alone,” she recalls. “I turned around and ran outside.” (The hose, she now knows, will always lead one to safety.)

After catching her breath, Francis soon realized she would be more helpful inside the house. “Plus, I wanted to prove to everyone that I could do this!” she says.

Some five years after her first hands-on fire experience, Francis, also a certified EMT, is ready to drop anything to help. Sometimes, she even leaves family dinners to aid firefighters or rescue workers. “When we’re all sitting down at the table for Thanksgiving dinner, the beeper will usually go off,” says Francis. “My mom’s really good about it — she’ll set aside a plate of leftovers for me to eat later.”

Her husband, she says, is also very understanding, even when the beeper wakes him up for the fourth time during the nights his wife is on call.

As a volunteer, Francis takes on at least one shift each week, participates in weekly drills and is always ready to lend a hand.

Helping others, she says, provides her with satisfaction and the motivation to keep volunteering. “You look in people’s faces when they’re hurting or in pain, and you tell them you’ll take care of them,” she says. “One man thanks me every time we meet for giving his wife another chance at living. Moments like these remind me of why I do this.”

She’s also gained respect from work colleagues. “Staci has outstanding organizational and people skills,” says Charles Snowdon, Psychology Department chair. “I cannot imagine a more professional and competent collaborator in managing the department, nor one I would enjoy working with, more than Staci.”

As the department’s office manager, Francis oversees hiring personnel, including research staff, lecturers and faculty; manages the $9 million office budget and all grants; and plans the course offerings.

Among neatly stacked piles and organized folders on her desk is evidence of Francis’ other occupation. Photos of firefighters hang on the walls, a business card holder features a fire hydrant and coffee mugs pay tribute to rescue workers. She keeps her favorite item, a fire ax that notes when she made fire lieutenant, the first woman to have that position at the DeForest fire department, at home.

Add to all this Francis’ fire-red hair and her emergency medical services license plate, “Help N U,” and one could guess she’s dedicated to putting out fires, not just at the office but also in people’s homes.

Occasionally, her volunteer job conflicts with her daytime one, and she must leave work early to help rescue workers manage the scene of a car wreck or fire. “Chuck [Snowdon] is very understanding,” says Francis. “He realizes that when something major happens, rescue workers need all the help they can get.”

In fact, soon after the airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center buildings on Sept. 11, Francis had planned to go to New York City to help. “We had all the vehicles loaded and ready to go,” she says. “But we were told by officials in New York City not to come.” Masses of volunteers had flooded the city, and officials, she explains, had to start turning them away.

So Francis stayed in DeForest and helped those around her. And, although essential tools — a window punch, flashlight, rope and puncture-proof gloves — can save lives. Francis says that remaining calm is also vital: “I never know what I’m going to encounter, so I must try to stay as relaxed and focused as possible. If I get all worked up, I won’t be able to help. The most important tool I can carry is a level head,” she says.

Recently, Francis received an $82,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Authority to aid DeForest rescue workers. Most of the funding will go toward purchasing new equipment, but some will help establish a fitness gym at the fire station. “The No. 1 reason firefighters die is because of cardiac arrest,” explains Francis. “Cardiovascular exercise and measuring everyone’s baseline vitals will be built into mandatory drills.”

Her volunteer work, as well as her success in receiving the recent grant, show that Francis personifies the Wisconsin Idea, Snowdon says: “Staci exemplifies our ideal of hard work competently done with time set aside for contributing to the communities in which we live.”