A tragic car accident when Ciara Crowley was a toddler planted a seed for a life in public service.
The seed sprouted quickly. When she was about 6, her grandmother helped her understand how lucky she was to survive the crash and the little girl decided she wanted to be a firefighter when she grew up. Later in life, it was clear her motivation to become a first responder was rooted in saving lives and helping people in crisis.
Crowley spent years on her dream. In 2018, she moved to Tempe to work as an EMT for the city’s fire department while studying at a cadet program designed to develop skills and prepare her for acceptance to the firefighting academy. Last summer, Crowley joined the Maricopa Fire Department as a probationary firefighter.
“Resiliency is one of my strongest traits,” she said.