Journalist.
Mom.
Firefighter.
Sometimes I can’t go. I’m on deadlines Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. Other times, I have to get the kid to her mom, my ex-wife. It can be a family affair – or extended family. And yet.
Lissa Harris, one of the cofounders of the Watershed Post, is a working journalist, and it was that time as a journalist that made her want to join, because of Hurricane Irene in 2011. “I saw how long it took state aid to get here and the national guard. I was a reporter then. The Watershed Post, we were covering round the clock, and I could see it unfold and the fire department was the first line of help for so many. Still. I wanted to be more hands-on, and the fire department is the most robust form of mutual aid in our community.”
“I am also a swordfighter, I am not scared.” Lissa thrives on the adrenaline of news cycles and quick-hitting moments. A historical longsword fencer, she says she’s more nervous of social situations than heights or ladders. “Would I be accepted? Nelt, our chief, made it clear that if I show up, I belong. And that is a powerful message in a small town.”
“I’m not afraid of heights or ladders, but social environments. I was nervous if I’d be accepted. The department made it clear – if I show up, I belong. I want to contribute to the most robust system of mutual aid this community has. I feel humbled by it, by the trust put in me.”