The new year has much in store for Eastport Fire Department volunteer Virginia Massey.
On January 1, the 20-year-old became the outfit’s first elected female officer, and she now holds the title of 2nd lieutenant for the Mercury Hose Company.
“I’m very excited to be able to learn more and help more people,” she said on Thursday, January 11. “I have a little bit more power now and I’m excited to learn more about what this means for me.”
As a fourth-generation Eastport resident, Lt. Massey has been surrounded by firefighters her entire life, including the night she was born.
Lt. Massey’s father, Kurt, was chief of the Eastport Fire Department in 1998, and on the night he picked up his wife and newborn daughter from Southampton Hospital, he responded to the scene of a house fire—with his less than week-old daughter sleeping in the backseat.
Inspired by her both her father and grandfather, Chester Massey, a 61-year veteran of the Eastport Fire Department, Lt. Massey joined the outfit’s junior firefighter program at the age of 12. It was there that she held her first high-ranking position, serving as the group’s captain for two years.In 2013 she was named the department’s Junior Firefighter of the Year and, in September 2014, she became the outfit’s second female volunteer firefighter since the Union Avenue station opened in 1913.
“I really do enjoy being a firefighter,” Lt. Massey said. “I go out and I save someone’s life [but] I always had it in my head that I wanted to do a bit more.”
She credited two individuals—1st Assistant Chief of the Department Michael Tortorice and former Chief Matt Stevens—for encouraging her to step up and take on more responsibility within her hometown fire department. She explained that her new duties include working with her fellow officers to train new recruits, and regularly inspecting and testing the department’s equipment.
“I don’t necessarily have a plan right now,” she said. “My goal is to learn what it means to be a lieutenant and earn everyone’s respect.”
But respect isn’t the only thing on Lt. Massey’s mind as she settles into her new role. She explained that as the department’s first elected female officer, she hopes to inspire other young women to follow in her footsteps.
“I hope that a young woman sees this and she realizes that she’s able to be that,” Lt. Massey said. “Even the women that I see in the fire department, they inspire me. It’s just a big family.”
In a prepared statement, Eastport Chief Mark Yakaboski congratulated his new lieutenant on her successes.
“It will be an honor to work with the first female officer of the Eastport Fire Department,” Chief Yakaboski said. “Virginia’s enthusiasm and drive will be an asset to the department moving forward.”
Regarding her future plans, Lt. Massey said she would like to pursue a career in firefighting, noting that her cousin, Ross Massey, is a paid firefighter in Virginia. She does have other interests, however.
Lt. Massey is currently enrolled at the Suffolk County Community College’s eastern campus, where she intends to switch her major from graphic design to general studies, noting that she is making the change so she can earn her EMT certification. When she’s not in school or at the firehouse, she can often be found at the Brunetti Salon in Westhampton Beach, where she has worked as a hair washing assistant for the past two years.
“I really do just enjoy being there,” Lt. Massey said, referring to her time spent at the Union Avenue firehouse. “I really hope that I am there for a very long time and I can continue helping others as they have helped me.”
Valerie Gordon on Jan 12, 2018