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.
Do
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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.
- Learn Hands-Only CPR.
You’ll be able to recognize
signs of cardiac arrest
and help out until medical
professionals arrive.
— Jacqueline Cassagnol - Sleep with the door
closed. This increases your
chances of surviving if
your house catches on fire.
— Alissa Sypsa - 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