A volunteer firefighter hopes to transform fire hoses and lives through her bag-making business. Janelle Robinson discovered a passion for firefighting and a desire to join its tight-knit community when she turned 40. She became a volunteer firefighter and EMT with Summerfield Fire District, and her new career led to an adventure in the business world.
“We got a whole bunch of new hose one year, and a lot of it was going to get thrown away. I asked my chief if I could take some of it home and try to make something out of it,” Robinson said.
That experiment became Burn Bags USA. The business features different styles of bags made out of old fire hoses. Through it, she found an opportunity to help women put out the fires in their own lives. Women from Tabitha Ministry, a local recovery program, help her get bags out the door.