Story by Christopher Hurd November 12, 2024 at 11:14AM WASHINGTON — It was eerily calm outside as 18-year-old Melissa O’Brien returned to her West Virginia home following a camping trip. Within minutes, storms hit the area, taking down power lines and causing destruction. A volunteer firefighter, O’Brien looked down as her fire department pager started going off. She went outside and saw her neighbor, a fellow firefighter, who asked if she was ready to go. They headed out and worked alongside other community members to help those impacted by the natural disaster. “I feel like in my life, there has always been some need to serve others,” she said. “I think a lot of it had to do with my childhood watching the things my mom went through with my grandma.”
