Defending against the opposing teams’ hardest hitters was not enough for Northwest College sophomore libero Ellie Thomas. Over the summer she put in additional hard work to defend against one of the most prominent seasonal threats in Wyoming — wildfires.

Thomas spent her summer serving as a wildland seasonal firefighter with the Campbell County Fire Department, taking inspiration from her family to seize the opportunity to help protect the beauty of Wyoming.

While continuing to pursue a career in criminal justice at Northwest she told her dad Terry Thomas that she was considering taking the summer job, creating excitement within her family that she would continue a longtime tradition.

“My dad is a part-time firefighter in Wright and works for the CCFD, so I have known about it for a long time,” Thomas said. “My brother (Cole) and sister (Jaysie) both did it also.”

PHYSICAL TEST

Throughout the summer the department pushes those involved to be in top physical shape in order to be able to respond to incidents — with physical tests being constant.

Thomas said that each morning the firefighters would have mandatory workouts that they needed to get in, allowing her to still workout even if she was unable to get on the volleyball court that day.

The big test for the program was the pack test — which consists of wearing a 45-pound vest, then walking 3 miles in under 45 minutes.

“It’s not very fun, at all,” Thomas said.

She said that on those days where the firefighters were able to do their own workout and not one they were required to do, she would get on the court and do her volleyball workouts.

“A lot of our workouts this summer were lifting, along with speed and agility,” Thomas said. “I think our first PT besides the pack test was a 3 mile run.”

PUTTING OUT FLAMES

Despite it being a rainy season throughout the state, including Campbell County, Thomas and her crew were called out to several fires late in the year.

“We got called up to one in the timber … we dug some line and stayed the night out on it. It was pretty fun,” Thomas said.

One of the biggest things Thomas learned throughout the process was the need to trust those around you.

“You go into a new season (volleyball) with new girls every single year, and you go into this job not knowing a single person and being able to trust them with your life,” Thomas said. “It’s just realizing you need to have that trust in people and being able to understand them on a different level.”

CREATING MEMORIES

Spending time with a crew for an entire summer can create strong memories, but the best part for Thomas was being able to go out and fight fires.

“We had one day where we had to go out and dig a line for five hours straight as a training day,” Thomas said. “It was not fun, but then we got stuck digging line on a fire and it was completely different. We were like, ‘this is enjoyable and you were doing it for a purpose.’”

One of the biggest lessons Thomas learned from the experience is that you have a lot more in you than you think you do.

She said one of the toughest parts was carrying the 45-pound line pack while digging, having a tool in your hand and getting blisters — but she also realized you can do more to keep going.

“You definitely have a lot more fight and hard work in you than you think you do,” Thomas said.

She hasn’t given up on digging.

Thomas recently broke her own digs in a single match record at the college with 39 in a match against the Carroll College JV, and was named the NJCAA National Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts.

She still wants to continue pursuing her passion of law enforcement while possibly returning for another season of firefighting next summer.