MOM LIFE
Meet Rachel Calderon-Murphy
BY PJ FEINSTEIN
What do you love about the
work you do?
my stepdaughter, Ava, came to live with us
in 2012. She not only helps us with the child-
I have been a firefighter since I was 16 years care, but she has helped us with parenting
old. I have worked with Frederick County as well. Her help was critical while Sean was
Fire and Rescue for almost three years, but deployed in 2018.

I’ve been volunteering with Rockville Volun-
teer Fire Department for 15 years. I tried to What do you and your family
do other jobs, but this is where my heart is. love to do together?
There is no doubt that firefighters see Because of our schedules, there are usu-
people at some of the most vulnerable ally only two days a week when we are all
moments of their lives. If I can do some- together. It’s hard, honestly. Most families,
thing to make them smile, or make them most kids, do not experience that. So we
try to take advantage of our time together.

better, then I’ve made a difference.

Also, there’s nothing that gets my blood We have family dinners, go to church and
pumping more than when I’m working on take walks or hike. Sometimes we’ll make
the fireground or on an intense EMS call. a fire in the backyard and roast marshmal-
Oddly enough, it’s that chaos that really lows for s’mores. Other times we may just
makes me think clearly. I think that takes a end up on the couch watching TV, but we’re
together. certain type of person.

How has the coronavirus
pandemic affected your work
I think the biggest challenge is always and home life?
What do you find challenging
about raising kids?
OCCUPATION: LIVES:
WORKS :
Firefighter Potomac, MD
Frederick County,
MD Ava, 16, and
Maximus (aka Moose), 5
CHILDREN: SPOUSE:
Sean Murphy
We’re looking for local moms and
dads who are juggling multiple
priorities and making a positive
impact in their community to feature
in our new Mom/Dad Life column.

Send your nominations to
editor@washingtonFAMILY.com. wondering if you’re doing it right. There are
so many different ways of parenting, and
what works for one kid probably won’t work
for another. I have found the best way to
combat the confusion is by talking to my
mom friends—with a glass of sangria!
My husband and I also have a strong
faith, and we turn to God, the Bible and our
church family when we are struggling. Hav-
ing that support from the ones you love and
people who know what you’re going through
helps you realize that what you do may not
always be textbook “right,” but it may be
what’s right for your family.

What’s something that makes
juggling motherhood and your
career a little bit easier?
Work has definitely been more stressful
because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both
my husband and I are worried about what
we could potentially bring home to our kids
and my mom. We take all the precautions
we can and make sure that cleanliness is a
priority in the house. My husband is also a
paramedic, so he sees a lot of those patients.

My firehouse is the HazMat house in Fred-
erick, and we are in charge of decontaminat-
ing all the units that transport potential or
positive COVID patients. The stress is high,
but we know what we signed up for when we
started our careers.

It has also presented a challenge at home.

Our routines are totally out of whack and
everyone is going a bit stir-crazy. We try
to keep some kind of routine with the kids
and stay active, but we miss our family
outside the home. Luckily, we have been
taking advantage of technology and using
FaceTime or Zoom to talk with family and
friends. We will make it through this, we just
have to stay positive. n
My husband and I are both firefighters,
and he is also in the Maryland Air National
Guard. We work opposite shifts: 24 hours
on, 48 hours off. He also has one weekend
a month where he is serving his military
duties. What helps us is living with my mother
and having a great family support system. Read our extended interview with Rachel
My mom opened up her home to us when Calderon-Murphy at WashingtonFAMILY.com.

WashingtonFAMILY.com 37