When the call comes in, Brianna Oliver trades her softball glove for fire gear without hesitation.
Oliver, a freshman softball pitcher for the Northwest Shoals Community College Patriots, also serves as a volunteer firefighter with the Hatton Volunteer Fire Department. This is a role she does not take lightly and one she has witnessed since she was a little girl.
Service is in her blood. Her mother served 12 years as a volunteer firefighter, and her father dedicated 17 years to the department. Growing up, Oliver watched them drop everything, racing out the door to help neighbors in need.
“I want to continue where my parents left off and help my community,” Oliver said. “There are not many people close to my age serving, and I want to encourage others to serve their community.”
Balancing athletics and emergency service isn’t easy. A typical week for Oliver includes early-morning workouts, classes, afternoon practices, and calls whenever she is available. Oliver has officially been serving as a volunteer firefighter since July of 2025, but she has been on approximately 80 calls.
According to Oliver, the most rewarding part of being a volunteer firefighter is being able to help someone on what might be the worst day of their life. “Knowing that I might be able to save someone’s life, help an elderly person in my community they may have fallen, or even rescue a personal item from burning that is really sentimental, that makes it all worth it.”
Patriots head softball coach Angel Brown says Oliver knows what it means to stand in the line of fire.
“As a pitcher, Bri (Brianna) faces every inning with the same courage and composure that define a firefighter — calm in chaos, quick to decide, and fearless when the pressure is highest,” Brown said. “No matter the situation on the field, she sacrifices her body without hesitation for her team. The traits she’s built on the mound mirror the ones needed as a volunteer firefighter: strength, resilience, and the heart to step forward when others step back.”
Oliver hopes her journey encourages young girls in her community to chase big dreams.
“I want them to know they can do it all,” she said. “You can be an athlete. You can be a firefighter. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
As she continues her studies and her softball career at Northwest Shoals, Oliver is not sure what her career will look like, but she does plan for it to include being a volunteer firefighter.
“I plan on doing this as long as I can. At the end of the day, I just want to make a difference,” she said.
Briana Oliver, freshman NWSCC Patriots softball pitcher, poses in her Hatton Volunteer Fire Department turnout gear at Patriot Park. (Courtesy: Northwest Shoals Community College Athletics)
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About Northwest Shoals Community College:
Northwest Shoals Community College (NWSCC) is part of the Alabama Community College System and home to over 5,000 students. NWSCC offers over 100 certificate and degree programs and is committed to providing career technical, academic, athletics and lifelong educational opportunities that promote economic growth and enrich the quality of life for the people it serves. For more information about the NWSCC, visit https://nwscc.edu/.