2019-11-01 Good Housekeeping

ALISSA

SYPSA

TITLE: Firefighter, EMT

LOCATION: Dublin, GA

YEARS ON THE JOB: 2

First responders run into burning

buildings and disaster zones, but

Alissa Sypsa reminds us that not all

emergencies are accidents or natural

catastrophes

—

some are caused inten-

tionally by human hands. “We see evil

firsthand,” says Alissa. And that can

take a huge toll: “There is a high rate

of suicide among firefighters. We’re

the people who try to help others, so

I think sometimes it’s hard to accept

help ourselves,” she says. The way she

deals with the emotional weight of the

job is to “stay balanced and keep hope

at the forefront.” For Alissa, balance

means connecting with loved ones and

doing as much good as she can during

her off-hours. She volunteers with her

church congregation, cooking for the

elderly and creating craft projects for

kids. After Hurricane Irma, Alissa and

some of her friends helped find shelter

for a group of around 40 evacuees,

12 of whom even stayed with her in

her home. “One of the women missed

her baby shower because she had

to leave her own home, and a lot of

people chipped in to throw her a new

one. There are constant reminders

that kindness and goodness will

always outweigh evil,” Alissa says.

—Andra Chantim

Teacher Hero

JACQUELINE

CASSAGNOL

TITLE: Registered Nurse

LOCATION: Spring Valley, NY

YEARS ON THE JOB: 8

Jacqueline Cassagnol creates “first responders”

for communities in need. Her nonprofit, Worldwide

Community First Responder (WCFR), provides

health education and first aid training. She was

inspired to found WCFR after volunteering in a

disaster-preparedness program in Haiti. “A local told

me, ‘If we had known what you are teaching us now,

fewer people would have died during the earth-

quake,’

” she says. “We want people to know that no

matter what, they have the power to increase their

chances of survival and even help others.” —A.C.

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PLAYING WITH FIRE November 8

WHEN STRAITLACED JAKE CARSON (John Cena) became the superintendent

of his smoke-jumping squad (Keegan-Michael Key, John Leguizamo and Tyler Mane),

he expected to see his fair share of wildfires. But babysitting three wildly unpredict-

able siblings wasn’t exactly in the job description, and the result is utter LOL-worthy

chaos. “If you want to just go and laugh at the foolish things we do, it’s a fun movie,”

John says about the flick. “But there really is some deep-rooted stuff about relation-

ships, asking bigger questions and figuring out your purpose in there too.”

They were supposed

to be talking about

themselves, but couldn’t

help giving advice on

how you can be safer.

1. Learn Hands-Only CPR.
   You’ll be able to recognize
   signs of cardiac arrest
   and help out until medical
   professionals arrive.
   — Jacqueline Cassagnol


2. Sleep with the door
   closed. This increases your
   chances of surviving if
   your house catches on fire.
   — Alissa Sypsa


3. Make your house
   number highly visible.
   If you live in a rural area
   or are in one of several
   houses on a private road,
   clearly label the end of the
   driveway and your house so
   rescue can find you quickly.
   Those extra minutes count.
   — Sharliene Bowers

MOVIE SNEAK PEEK

John Cena with costar

Christian Convery.

from our winners

Discover hometown herœs

28 GH NOVEMBER^2019