By Megan Hart
Sunday News

LANCASTER, Pa. — A Manheim Township graduate recently took charge as Alabama's only female fire chief.

Donna Campbell, who ascended to the post by a unanimous town council vote in June, returned to her mother's Lancaster home to celebrate the holidays and reconnect with old friends, including members of the Lancaster city and Manheim Township fire departments.

Like many areas of Pennsylvania, her adopted home, Town Creek, uses only volunteer firefighters. The difference, Campbell said, is that many Alabama fire departments lack equipment and sufficient water systems - problems that she has worked to address through the town council and two federal grants.

Though she has worked her way to the top of her department, Campbell said that she never intended to become a firefighter. Her journey began in 1977, when she was still in high school and met Sue Richards, who was singing back-up for country singer Tammy Wynette. Five years later she moved to Alabama to work as a photographer and personal assistant to Richards.

She later worked as a photographer for the fire department and occasionally helped to put out grass fires. Eventually she became an emergency medical technician, before earning her firefighting certification in 1998. In addition to her job as fire chief, she now works as a 9-1-1 dispatcher.

One of the tougher parts of her job, Campbell said, is that her (now-fading) "Yankee" accent sometimes made radio communication difficult.

She also encountered some obstacles because of her gender. Several Alabama towns have had female fire chiefs before, but Campbell is the only one currently serving. Of the 37 members of her department, 18 are women.

"There are some chiefs down there who think if women [can't do every part of a fire job] they shouldn't be on the fire department," she said.

Campbell prefers to emphasize teamwork, because each fire requires multiple skills. For example, a 4-foot, 6-inch firefighter drives and operates vehicles while others use the hoses.

Campbell says that she likes the mix of her department, which includes many couples and families.

"Sometimes I think that a lot of my women will take that extra second to think before they act," Campbell said. "Not that I want to put my men down .... We all have our own little roles."

Copyright 2007 Lancaster Newspapers, Inc.