From Finance to EMT, Lisa Jawer Is Now a Dedicated Volunteer By Chelsea Penfield
Lisa Jawer wasted little time deciding what she wanted to do when she retired several years ago as senior vice president of the greater Washington region at PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. After more than 30 years in the whirl of the business world, she went in a totally different direction, volunteering as an emergency medical technician (EMT). She knew sitting at home waiting for her next chapter to start wasn’t an option. One day, she was in a local dry-cleaning store and found herself asking, “What am I going to do now?” Jawer recalled looking up and seeing a sign on a bulletin board in the store seeking volunteers for positions as volunteer firefighters and EMTs. She said she thought awhile about her natural inclination to help others, and ultimately, she wanted to serve the community any way she could. She spoke to Billy Boyle, the chief of The Plains fire department, who told her they were definitely in need of EMT’s. She agreed to give it a try, embarking on a year-long journey that ended with her qualifying for an official county license. She had to take a number of steps to get it. First, a fire department must choose to sponsor an EMT. Second, she had to undergo an extensive background check, with the county reviewing all records, previous jobs, and even her medical history. Next, she had to complete an intense training
course to prepare for any sort of scenario out in the field. She was eventually evaluated on her medical knowledge, how to deal with various categories of trauma, and her ability to quickly and calmly deal with real-world emergency situations. Finally, she had to pass a demanding national exam in order to get her official license. She described the entire process as something that’s “not for everyone.” Still she added, there’s nothing more rewarding than knowing, “you can help someone.” She said one of the biggest challenges she faces as an EMT is not being able to help everyone she encounters in emergency medical situations. As part of her training, she also had to learn how to detach from outcomes that happen in the field. Jawer and her husband Marvin have two children and she admitted that as a mother, child cases are always difficult to deal with. As an EMT, she said she has to put her personal feelings aside and focus on what needs to be done. “You do the best you can with the resources you have,” she said, adding that it’s also critical to stick to protocol at all times. In addition to going out on calls, she also recently has been appointed as the acting treasurer for the department. Given her background in finance, she’s obviously a natural, though she admitted she prefers being out in the field over balancing the books. Her treasurer duties include tracking both incoming and outgoing funds and also handles
sending out and paying the bills every month, Jawer said the community has been incredibly generous in response to the department seeking funds for a new fire truck to replace an out-of-date vehicle. They’ve raised over 90 percent of the money to meet their goal, and Jawer said all the department volunteers are truly grateful for the support. And in The Plains, the community also is obviously grateful for the fire department and its dedicated volunteers.
PHOTO BY CHELSEA PENFIELD.
Lisa Jawer with her vehicle of choice at The Plains Fire Department.
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Country Spirit • Summer 2019