“No matter what happens, someone is coming for you and you need to continue fighting to get yourself out.”

Engineer Lisa Tarkany

Why did you become a firefighter?

At age four, Lisa Tarkany’s sister accidentally set their bedroom on fire. The firefighters who responded to the call were Mrs. Tarkany’s initial inspiration for becoming a firefighter. After seeing how they handled the call so professionally and helped her family, she knew she wanted to be a firefighter.

“Not everyone can do this job. That’s the best part.”

Engineer Tarkany began pursuing the fire service in 1999 after starting a family and having two children. She was hired at the Pepperdine University Fire Department after completing the Oxnard College Regional Fire Academy.

Today, she is an engineer at Ventura County Federal Fire Department in California.

In addition to taking on the role of acting captain on half of the shifts she works, Engineer Tarkany teaches at a regional accredited fire school. She teaches a 3-month course to young adults which covers all the basic skills for Firefighter I and Firefighter II certifications.

From pulling hose and hazmat procedures, to putting out wildland fires and Low Angle Rope Rescue Operations (LARRO), the students are well-prepared after Engineer Tarkany’s course.

What advice do you have for other firefighters?

“If this is truly a job you want to do then don’t give up on it.”

Firefighting is not just a career path, it’s a way of life — even when off-duty. A firefighter, is a firefighter 24/7.

There will be obstacles and setbacks in the journey to becoming a firefighter, but it’s important to push through it. This is especially true in life or death situations.

Engineer Tarkany always stresses the importance of firefighter survival and safety tactics for maydays to her students. “No matter what happens, someone is coming for you and you need to continue fighting to get yourself out.”

Nathan Espinosa from the Los Angeles City Fire Department survived a near-death incident because he had the mindset to push through and keep fighting. He shared his story of how he survived after falling 23 feet through the roof of a burning structure in Going Down Swinging a short film created by the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation.

What advice do you have for female firefighters?

Focus on physical strength training.

Mrs. Tarkany earned the Naval Base Ventura County Firefighter of the Year Award in 2009 and 2018 after becoming the first female engineer in her department’s 74-year history. It was difficult for Engineer Tarkany to earn her position in the department, but her hard work and determination allowed her to demonstrate that she means business.

Tarkany’s best friend, Christina Terrazas, also made fire service history earlier this year. Terrazas, is a member of the first all-female crew to work a shift at Pasadena Fire Department.

Mrs. Tarkany recognizes the importance of these moments in history and she’s glad to see glass ceilings being broken in the fire service. However, her priorities are solely focused on ensuring that she and those around her deliver the best service they can to their communities — regardless of sex.

“This is a great history-making incident, but I’m more focused on getting the job done well. I raised my daughters to be capable people, not just capable women.”

Tarkany’s drive for excellence is also evident in her willingness to help others become the best they can be, “If you want my help, I am going to do everything I can to help you get to where you need to be. It doesn’t matter what race, religion, or gender you are.”

A firefighter is not someone to back down from a challenge, even in the most uncertain situations. But there are some situations where it is best to put ego aside and take a step back. Engineer Tarkany’s story is a perfect example of when it’s better to rest than to push the limits.

Mrs. Tarkany was assigned support operations for a structure fire in Riverside, CA with CAL FIRE, California’s state-wide wildfire protection agency. Riverside gets much hotter than Ventura, CA, where she typically works.

She was doing ventilation on the roof with her engineer who was cutting while she was pulling back the louvers. All of a sudden she became extremely light-headed — she knew something was wrong.

In the back of her mind, she was hesitant to get down because she knew she would get a hard time from her fellow firefighters for walking away from the fire. Fortunately, she decided to put her ego aside and listen to her body. She came down from the roof.

“Take care of business by listening to your body. The last thing you want to do is to become a casualty on scene, diverting resources from the incident to you”.

It turns out that she had heat exhaustion and she made the right decision just in time. She would have likely passed out on the roof had she waited much longer. This would have diverted her crew’s attention from the fire and put others at risk unnecessarily.

In addition to being tough, firefighters need to be smart. Firefighter’s cannot let ego get in the way especially when it’s time to take a step back. It’s not weak; it’s wise.