A Passion For Saving Lives, An Eye For Design

Menomonee Falls Fire Department EMT Desirae Faulkner looks at emergency vehicles a little differently than the rest of us – probably even her fellow rescue workers.

Faulkner, a self described jack-of-all-trades, was the creative mind behind a new logo that will appear on the sides of rescue vehicles from 30 fire departments in Waukesha County.

“I was pretty amazed when Chief (Jeffrey Hevey) told me that the logo would be on all county vehicles,” Faulkner said. “It’s cool to know in the back of my mind that something that I designed is on those vehicles. It gives me a real sense of pride.”

The logo Faulkner designed is the official emblem of the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) Division 106.  MABAS is voluntary mutual aid program that the 30 fire departments in Waukesha County participate in. Fire chiefs from the various departments asked Hevey if he knew someone who could design the logo for their division.

“They asked if I knew anyone with the talents to design the logo, and I told them, ‘I think I know just the right person for the job,’” Hevey said.

Faulkner created about 12 mock-ups before she settled on final series to submit to the chiefs for them to vote on. The winning design tallied 18 of the 30 votes cast by chiefs.

“The emblem signifies what county you are from when you go out to bigger calls,” Hevey said. “It's an identifier, and with that comes pride.”

Faulkner is a paid-on-call EMT with the MFFD in her fourth year. Every third day she is on call at the department for a 12-hour shift. For Faulkner, and many others with MFFD, working in the department is a second vocation apart from their day job.

Faulkner studied graphic design and was a professional designer for about five years. She is also a former police officer, and is currently studying nursing. She is a CNA/emergency room technician at Aurora Hospital in Grafton.

Faulkner said she wants to finish her nursing education and become an emergency room nurse. She also has a goal to become a paramedic, and eventually be a paramedic on Flight For Life.

“Helping people has always been my goal. It’s the satisfaction you get when you helping someone, and knowing you are really making a difference in their life,” Faulkner said. “I can’t describe the feeling you get when you help someone in need.”

Faulkner is part of a group of MFFD volunteers and paid-on-call staff that come from a blend of backgrounds. On any given call, an accountant, engineer, business owner, photographer or a computer expert could be saving your home and family from a fire or accident.  

The variety of backgrounds coming together is something that strengthens the MFFD.

“We have a diverse group of people here if you look at us talent-wise,” Hevey said. “When you bring people with different backgrounds together we get better perspectives on problems we encounter. The department is strengthened by the variety of skills they bring from their day jobs.”

Hevey said many paid-on-call staff with the MFFD tell people their profession is a fire fighter, rather than their day job, when asked what they do for a living.

“It’s not a job, it’s part of who you are,” Faulkner said.