By Peter Covino
Lifestyles Editor

When Jackie Spence was a girl, her dream job was to be a veterinarian when she grew up.

Years later, as a firefighter, the closest she got to that childhood calling was maybe rescuing that cat stuck up a tree.

Now Spence is a member of the Osceola County Department Fire Rescue and Emergency Medical Services elite and the St. Cloud High School graduate is Osceola County Fire Rescue’s first female battalion chief.

While women have gained a near equal footing in most jobs, the role of the “fireman” is still traditionally a man’s occupation.

In the Osceola County Fire Rescue, there are only seven women in the “combat” role (the firefighters) out of a force of 312.

“I never thought I would achieve this level,” said Spence.

As a firefighter, I always wanted to be the best firefighter I could be. Once I reached the point that I felt confident as a well-rounded firefighter, I strived to become an engineer,” she said.

“When I became an engineer, I strived to become the best engineer that I could be, and I kept that position for 12 years. I then became a lieutenant, a position I held for 11 years. Each position I took on, I sought to become the best I could be in that position before I felt comfortable in moving upward. As a battalion chief of only several weeks, I will work towards being the best I can be before I consider moving up.”

It may not have been something she sought, but her boss, Danny McAvoy, deputy chief/fire marshal for Osceola County, said it was something she certainly is worthy of.

“Everyone in the fire services,” McAvoy said, is always improving, always striving to be better at their job.

“There is no rest in this business. You are always training,”  he said.

Even if it is a Saturday or Sunday (assuming you have those days off), “Training is an every day thing,” he said.

And foremost in mind for the firefighter is staying ahead of the fire.

“You have to learn to think like a fire,” he said. “And Jackie knows the ways of a fire. A fire does what it wants. You have to change its ‘mind.’”

Spence always has enjoyed the battle, all of the effort that goes into fighting the blaze.

“I like the combat. I like to combat fires,” she said.

Spence’s new position (she officially became a battalion chief, one of a dozen in the county, June 16) doesn’t let her get as “hands on” as her old one.

But the job still calls for her to be on duty 24 hours a day (when it is her shift), so when there is a fire in her district, which includes Buenaventura Lakes and Poinciana, she will be there.

Much of her day now is filled with the routine of running the battalion – executive staff meetings, checking on the status of the trucks, employee evaluations and similar endeavors.

The county’s fire rescue and emergency medical services is a growing department, McAvoy said.

Spence has been a part of the department since it began in 1989, one of the original 15 members of the force when it formed in July of that year. It continues to grow in size and scope.

Spence is one of five new battalion chiefs. The other new chiefs are Mike Capranica, Matt McNab, Dave Padgett and Steve Taylor.

Other promotions announced in June included:

Lieutenant – Jay Jackson, Eric Jarvis, John Leonard, Rich Michel, George Slack and Shaun Smith.

Engineer – Brent Califano, James Franklin, Kevin Grice, Bill Gross, Christopher Marconi and Alfred Rowlett.

Spence, who is married to a firefighter from Orlando, has two daughters.

“They are grown, but they are still excited for me,” she said.

Spence was recruited to the county in 1989 after being with the St. Cloud Fire Rescue for four years where she was a firefighter/paramedic.

Being a woman in male-dominated profession does have its challenges.

“But I do have a good working relationship with the guys,” she said. “No one has ever challenged my being a female. We are all the same.”

And that is a big part of being a firefighter, McAvoy said.

“We cry. We have fears,” he said.

Recently, the department had to deal with the electrocution of a young girl at one of the area resorts.

“It was tough on everyone,” he said. “A lot of this job involves counseling the other firefighters. We are all brother and sisters. We are family.”