Local People

Last Updated on Wednesday, 04 April 2018 16:33

By Jill Runfola

Who says that women can’t be as heroic as men? On February 22, 2018, Jamie Sethman was sworn in during a special ceremony at a Monessen Resident Council meeting as the first female fire captain in the history of Monessen.

Captain Jamie Sethman is in full uniform, ready to go out and fight fires!

She was there with her whole family and honored with a proclamation by the Mayor Matthew Shorraw.

Sethman says of the recognition, “It’s an honor. It definitely made my day within the last couple months.” She commented that it was extra special that the mayor commended her.

This honor came at a time she needed some good news. Back in December, she and her family suffered a loss when their home tragically burned down. Although it was hard for her to talk about, none of the family members were seriously hurt. The fire was electrical, and in an act of heroism, she ran in the fire with no gear on to get her three dogs out of the house. Fortunately, the family recently moved into a new home in Monessen.

Sethman has a close family, with two older sisters - Peggy, who is married, and Jennifer - and her parents. Some of the Sethmans attend The Orchard Christian Fellowship Church in Monessen with Jamie on Sunday mornings. Her mom, dad, and sister Jennifer share a home together.

Sethman’s dad, Jay, is a firefighter and has been for 40 years. He became a safety officer on the same day that his daughter became captain.

At the station, Sethman gained the nickname “fire queen.” She laughs and says there’s a funny story to go with that. When she first joined the department, there was a parade the firefighters were going to attend. She was the only female, and they were going to crown a beauty queen. So, when a co-worker called her the name, it just stuck.
Having worked a variety of odd jobs in the past, she currently works full-time at Wal-Mart in the automotive department, where she’s been for the past four years. However, her true calling is fighting fires, which she has been doing for almost eight years now. She is Captain 6 at Monessen Volunteer Fire Department.

Jamie Sethman with Mayor Shorraw on February 22, 2018, the day she was sworn in as captain.

Sethman became a firefighter, not only to follow the tradition of her dad, but because, she said, “I like helping people, and I wanted to do some good for the community.”