Linnea Anderson's Career Was All About Balance

Linnea Anderson knows that health and wellness go beyond the physical. Throughout her life, she's pursued a variety of interests, yearned for a challenge, and recognized that maintaining a balance is key to not only a healthy career, but a healthy life.

 

Anderson grew up in Minnesota and came to Madison to attend the University of Wisconsin. She competed on the UW-Madison women's rowing team and went on to become a coach. Meanwhile, she grew to love the city and decided to pursue a career with the Madison Fire Department at the encouragement of another MFD firefighter.

 

"I love Madison. I'm proud to be able to take care of it, make it a better place, and help its people," said Anderson, who retired from the MFD in June.

 

Anderson began her time with Madison Fire at Station 6 on the south side, then was transferred to Station 8 on the east side in 2001. When the Hazardous Incident Team was formed, she returned to Station 6 to be a part of it. In 2003, she pursued Paramedic School and received her paramedic license in 2004. She spent 12 years on the ambulance, serving on the ambulance from Stations 6, 2, 8, 7, and 5 along the way.

 

While in Station 7's territory, Anderson remembers being dispatched to an EMS call involving a woman in labor. The baby was delivered in the patient's home without complications. Anderson and her ambulance partner prepared to take Baby and Mom to the hospital. On their way to the ambulance, Anderson asked the baby's grandmother if the family had a name picked out yet.

 

"Yeah, she's going to be named Linnea," the grandmother said.

 

Anderson never told the family her first name, and she didn't have a name tag on. "I was like, 'Linnea with an 'L'?' and they said, 'Yeah.'"

 

While EMS provided countless memories and meaningful moments, Anderson also sought opportunities that would keep a foot in other aspects of the fire service. She was one of the first members of the MFD bike medic team, served on the department's Recruitment Committee, and was a member of the Peer Fitness Team. Anderson has also been involved with CampHERO since its inception in 2011. In 2016, she established the Madison Fire Team for the Fight for Air Climb, an annual event in support of the American Lung Association where firefighters climb a high-rise building in full gear.

 

When the department began to establish a Peer Support program, she had a hand in shaping the program and was a founding member of the Peer Support Team.

 

"Fitness is an important aspect of the job, and Peer Support is about keeping us fit in all ways," Anderson said. "To stay in this job until you're 50 is not always easy."

 

In 2017, Anderson was promoted to Lieutenant. Her focus during emergency calls naturally shifted away from being the primary caregiver and toward overseeing the entire response of her fire/EMS crew: how to get to the scene safely, how to get into the building, and how to solve the problem at hand.

 

"It's a huge puzzle and adventure, and because you work with good people, it's also fun," she said.

 

Leading a crew also meant taking a broader approach to patient care and recognizing how the impact of an emergency can have a ripple effect on others.

 

"I'm also treating the families, not just the patient, and taking care of them, because they're stressed out and having a hard day, too," she described.

 

Anderson was an EMT instructor for several MFD recruit academies, and when there was an opportunity to join the EMS Training Division, she stepped up to join the team.

 

In 2024, she filled the role of Acting Captain of EMS Training, which she served until her retirement. Working behind the scenes on a hybrid schedule (serving partly in the fire station and partly at Fire Administration) offered the variety that Anderson enjoys. It meant serving on different rigs at different fire stations in different territories, as well as the opportunity to act as a liaison between field personnel and department administration.

 

"We see and hear the needs of the field personnel and we can advocate for any needs or changes," she described. "We can also explain to the field the 'whys' of decisions made by EMS Training and Administration."

 

Now in retirement, with the unpredictability of the firefighter/paramedic life behind her, Anderson is enjoying the freedom of doing whatever she wants. It may involve reading a good book, kayaking, bike riding, or "traveling without an end date." Each summer, she'll continue to give her time to CampHERO in hopes of inspiring the next generation of firefighters.

 

"I didn't know that women could do it until someone told me, and it turned out to be the best career anyone can think of."