Westside Messenger - November 13th, 2022

Township Focus
www.columbusmessenger.com November 13, 2022 - WESTSIDE MESSENGER - PAGE 5
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Anastasia Toth is the first full-time female firefighter in Prairie Township. She is pictured
here with Prairie Township Fire Chief Allen Scott.
Prairie Township hires first
full-time female firefighter
By Christine Bryant
Staff Writer
The Prairie Township Fire Department
has hired its first full-time female firefighter/paramedic.
And Anastasia Toth is certain of one
thing - she won’t be the last.
“I am honored and excited to be a part of
this department,” she said. “I have amazing
mentors and a great crew to learn from.
I may be the first female here, but I certainly
won’t be the last.”
The 23-year-old Hilliard resident joined
the department part-time in December
2021 and has been a part-time firefighter
with the Jefferson Township Fire
Department since April 2020. She started
her full-time role with the Prairie
Township Fire Department on Oct. 1,
replacing a member who left to take a position
with the Columbus Division of Fire.
“Anastasia is a fantastic fit for our
organization,” Prairie Township Fire Chief
Allen Scott said. “Her strong work ethic
and passion for the fire service is exactly
what every fire department is looking for.”
He said the Prairie Township community
is lucky to have her on staff as a fulltime
member.
“Being the first female, full-time firefighter
in Prairie Township is a milestone
for her and sets a positive example for any
female who desires to become a firefighter,”
Scott said. “The fire service was a maledominated
profession for many years. That
ceiling was broken a long time ago in many
departments around the country and we’re
so proud to be able to say it’s happened
here, too.”
Although Toth says she was initially
interested in becoming an engineer, one of
her high school teachers left a lasting
impression on her.
“My history teacher sophomore year,
Tim Cave, was a retired firefighter and had
a lot of fun stories about the firehouse,”
Toth said. “Initially what attracted me to
this career was the brotherhood and the
ability to give back to the community.”
She enrolled in the Delaware Area
Career Center’s high school program and
graduated in 2017.
“At DACC, Captain Jay Louks further
inspired me to become the best firefighter I
could be,” Toth said. “Now I can’t imagine
doing anything else. I love waking up in
the mornings and going to work.”
Toth has two associate degrees in EMS
and Fire Science and began medic school in
2020.
In Toth’s spare time, she says she likes
to enter competitions that test her skills
and endurance.
“This past year I’ve competed in a half-
Ironman, half-marathon and two Olympic
triathlons,” she said. “Now that I’m out of
medic school, I am attempting to learn the
banjo as well.”
She also enjoys traveling and camping.
While Toth says she is focused on
becoming a great paramedic and firefighter,
her goals are to help other firefighters
as they join the department. In fact, the
department is projected to grow by nine
positions at the beginning of 2023 thanks
to a $3 million Staffing For Adequate Fire
and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant
from the The Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA).
“I’d like to help others accomplish their
goals and be someone that new recruits can
come to ask questions and learn from,”
Toth said. “This is a great department to be
a part of and I’m excited to see where my
career takes me.”