Imagine you’re finally sitting down for a meal with your beau, ready to debrief a week that seemed to never end, but something interrupts your relaxation - a siren that there’s a nearby fire and you’re needed elsewhere. You dash out, leaving your significant other behind, and head to the emergency, unclear when or if you’ll be able to return to your dinner plans. This is a constant reality for one selfless community member, Tammy Varga, a Butler resident who’s a volunteer firefighter in Bloomingdale.
By day, Varga is a manager for Precision Garage Door Service. Yet she’s on call to her community, 24/7, with no way to predict when she’ll be needed next, yet that’s being all-in to her. She joined the fire academy in 2017, a bit later in life than usual, but welcomed with open arms, and voted as Class President and Team Leader by her peers for each level of training.
“That was an experience like you wouldn’t believe,” Varga explains. “I was like the mom of the largest class. They all looked up to me.”
Varga was constantly outside of her comfort zone while training, especially due to her fear of heights - a fear that she has (nearly) overcome. She’s proven to herself that it’s never too late to do something that you love.
Now, her reaction to responding to emergencies comes as second nature.
“The tones go off and we run,” Tammy notes. “It is such an adrenaline rush.”
Despite volunteering, each firefighter must meet annual requirements, with a mandatory number of meetings and a certain number of fire responses to maintain their spot on the team. Exceeding requirements has never been a challenge for Varga.
“I’ve always wanted to be a first responder,” Varga explains. “My children are grown, so there’s no responsibility for taking care of little ones. After my day job, I could come home and do nothing - but I choose to do this instead. It’s for me and my community.”
Varga also helps with local fundraisers, constantly focused on what more she can do to give back. She wants to remind others that involvement doesn’t have to be something as big as becoming a volunteer firefighter. Every act of kindness counts.
“The little things add up, even if it’s donating to a fundraiser,” Varga explains. “Pitching in somehow to the ‘community family’ moves the needle. No matter how small the action is - you’re still helping.”
Outside of volunteering, she enjoys hiking, fishing, and camping with her family. She has three children, two stepchildren from a previous marriage, and two grandchildren who she absolutely adores. The local hero also helps her husband, Jon, with his business, Varga Construction.
Tammy has undoubtedly made her mark on the local community with countless acts of selflessness, a reminder that bravery has no bounds. Soon, the sirens will go off and she’ll be on her way to save the day again.