Brittany Thorson
A Real-Life Heroine
story by ERIN WALLACE photos by SUSAN DELOACH
Living in a small town, there are many things that we can take for granted. We have such a tight-knit community that will do anything to help out a fellow neighbor. Brittany Thorson is no exception to this motif. Brittany chose Beaufort because of the community she found within her firefighter companies, and once you sit down and talk with her for even just a minute, you will understand precisely why Brittany is one of the heroines in our hometown.
Brittany is originally from northern Minnesota. She applied to random fire departments all along the east coast, specifically googling fire departments close to the ocean. Jokingly, Brittany stated, “I was all over.” In truth, the southeastern seaboard appealed to Brittany as she no longer wanted to shovel snow in northern Minnesota. Luckily, Beaufort was one of the first departments to offer her a job! Though she will insist on the converse, we are indeed the lucky ones to have her defending our community.
Moving from the midwest to the sunny south at the age of 21, Brittany knew exactly what she wasn’t looking for. It came to her one blustery day. She was coming home from between classes, and there was a crazy snowstorm brewing. Arriving home, she had to shovel a pathway to her front door. After settling in and having dinner, she then had to shovel the path again back to her car because the snow was falling that fast. The snow grew to three feet in just a couple of hours! Upon leaving for work the next morning, she got stuck in the snowbank. At that moment, Brittany had an enlightening epiphany: “I’m never living where I have to shovel snow again.”
Brittany comes from a family of five. She has two brothers and is the middle child. Fun fact: she has only ever known public service. Growing up, her mom worked the night shift as an RN nurse for the ICU unit, and her dad worked the day shift as a lieutenant for the Minnesota State Patrol. Her parents set the perfect example and paved the way for her and her brothers, reminding them that a strong work ethic will get you places in life. Her older brother is a US Border Patrol Agent, while her younger brother served as a Marine and is learning computer science now.
So why did Brittany choose to become a firefighter in the first place? Well, there were a variety of big moments that solidified this line of service for her. One monumental event was the day Brittany rolled up to a semi-truck that had flipped over on the side of the road. She didn’t hesitate to get out and help. Her friend called 911 and was panicking, while Brittany remained calm talking to and comforting the man who had just been in the crash. It was a terrible wreck, and yet she was not fazed by the driver’s injuries and the sight of the scene. She will never forget the firefighters that showed up at the scene that day to rescue that man. Three years later, Brittany would pursue becoming a firefighter herself.
Overall, Brittany treasures working with a team. She enjoyed playing on sports teams growing up and valued self-discipline while playing. She also appreciated the dedication that came with her sports days and knew she could apply these traits to firefighting. She feels blessed with her team here in Beaufort because they give her the respect she has earned.
To get in this line of public service is no easy feat. Brittany trained both physically and mentally. Attending four different schools, studying natural resources, criminal justice, fire science, and organizational leadership, Brittany has demonstrated her genuine commitment to learning her craft well. On top of that, she even found the meager time she had left to help bring her college softball team to nationals!
If her work ethic wasn’t proven enough through her time in school, her current work schedule would convince even the most brazen workaholic. Not only is Brittany a firefighter lieutenant for Beaufort and part-time at Fripp Island, but she is also active on the South Carolina Emergency Response Task Force Team (SC-TF1), more specifically the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Boat Team. This is the state’s biggest and most highly trained search and rescue asset that can be activated for any natural disaster within the state. In fact, out-of-state assistance can be requested, and Brittany has been deployed to Iowa and to Louisiana for Hurricane Laura. SC-TF1 assisted with surveying homes and businesses for structural integrity in Lake Charles communities during this natural disaster. SC-TF1 also provided food and water to people in need while moving debris from the community’s yards and homes. The South Carolina Firefighter Mobilization Committee guides the team. Brittany proudly volunteers her time to the organization. They give her the training to reach even more people, to serve, and to learn beyond the firefighting skills.
Brittany is not only on the USAR team to offer support in the worst of conditions, but she also brings back experience and training that she happily shares with her crew at the fire department. She has poured sweat and tears into the USAR and the firefighter department, but one of six well-deserved awards she has received she is most proud of. Brittany was awarded the Meritorious Action Award from the South Carolina Fire Association from Fripp Island Fire Rescue in 2019 for a water rescue. This award states that the person receiving this honor has “rendered services beyond the ordinary course of duty with an act of bravery in an attempt to save a human’s life regardless of the action’s success.” Now, this is why she is a hero, and the words describing this award are profound and can speak into the kind of work Brittany does in her two careers. Heroes don’t ask for recognition. They earnestly seek to help, and it is evident that Brittany is the very embodiment of that truth.
Brittany’s end goal and dream job would be to become the chief of a department. The reality is that Brittany loves doing what she does because of the challenges and obstacles that arise in her line of work and then having to overcome these hurdles. She genuinely enjoys helping others. She is modest and selfless, and our community is incredibly privileged to have her. She is a servicewoman who, in her selflessness, protects and provides for those who we hold most dear. She is a real-life heroine who cares for our beloved community.
