Firefighting alum Jordan Lippmeier answers burning questions
Luke Young
He/Him
Managing Editor
9/29/23
Firefighting is really cool. The Plymouth Fire Department is a felt presence here on campus, with how many fire alarms are pulled in residential buildings. Jordan Lippmeier is a local firefighter and EMT, serving not just Plymouth but Bedford as well. As an alum who graduated in 2020, she got her start here at PSU as an allied health major and began her career here in town.
What is your background in firefighting?
I got into firefighting in 2017 through EMS, which makes it six years I’ve been doing this now. In New Hampshire, the fire service is mostly emergency medical, so 90% of what we do is EMS and ambulance calls. Because of this, pretty much every fire department in New Hampshire, except for a few, is cross-staffed. That means you need certifications in both medical and fire. EMT work is what originally got me into the fire service.
I came to school here at PSU for athletic training, and in my freshman year we were required to take a CPR class. During that class, my instructor was an EMT and told us these cool stories and I thought, “Oh, that sounds cool.” So I went and got my EMT, just as something fun to do. I ended up joining the Plymouth Fire Department and started going on ambulance calls and hanging around the fire station, which got me interested in the fire side of things. I changed my major to allied health and graduated in 2020 with that degree, and from there I went straight to the New Hampshire Fire Academy. After graduating, I immediately got hired by the Bedford Fire Department. [I’ll] have been with Bedford for three years in January, and [with] the Plymouth Fire Department for five years.
What are the most important traits for a firefighter to possess?
I think that there are a lot of important traits, but one of the most important things is empathy. If we’re having a good time getting structure fires, someone’s house is burning down…whether we’re responding to a fire, a motor vehicle accident, or a medical call, when we’re responding, we are because somebody called 911 because they believe that whatever is happening in their life is an emergency.
A lot of people don’t realize that when we see you, we are seeing a person on the worst day or one of the worst days of their lives…
How do you handle stress?
Right now, I’m more stressed out than ever being in medical school as well as working full-time and two part-time jobs. Getting outside, spending time with friends and family, or, finding whatever works for you to cope is the best way to deal with stress. Personally, it’s yoga, working out, talking, listening to music, and spending time with friends and family. Those are my cores.
What is your regimen for keeping up your physical fitness and ongoing education?
Personally, to stay in shape I go to the gym, like I said. I go to yoga at least once a week, but I try to go two or three times. In the wintertime, I ski and snowboard a lot, since that’s one of my hobbies.
As far as education goes for firefighting, we do not have any requirements for continuing education. Once you get your Fire One and Fire Two certifications, you’re pretty much certified for life. However, there [is] a lot of additional training that you can opt to take.
As far as the medical side of things, there is continuing education required. You have to recertify your license every two years with the state and with the national. You get national certification to be one of four levels of EMS. Whatever level you’re at, you have to recertify at that level or lower every two years. We are provided with monthly training at the department in both places that I work at, so I get my education through them. Also currently being in paramedic school provides a lot of education as well.
Do you have anything else you’d like to say on the subject?
I’d say it’s the best job in the world for so many reasons. People get into the job for different reasons, but the gratitude that you get back from people just by being there for someone when they don’t have anyone else or they need you is huge. It’s a feeling that nothing else really fulfills. I would say to anyone interested in the field right now, that there are a lot of opportunities because we need people. The pay is not the best in the world, but you work fantastic hours. I work eight days a month. Granted, they’re 24-hour shifts, but only eight days a month. So it’s pretty awesome.
For anyone interested, the Plymouth Fire Department is always looking for new call members. You can either stop by the station or go onto the website which has an email for the deputy. You don’t need to have any certifications to join, just an interest in obtaining your EMT and/or firefighter certifications. You need a positive attitude and must be willing to learn. If any college kids are interested, that’s how she got started. Who knows? It might change your life.