Susan Knecht has been a career firefighter with the town of Stratford, CT, for 15 years. During this time, she has acquired numerous certifications including pump-operator, aerial operator, confined space rescue technician and ice rescue technician. She is a Coast Guard-licensed captain, and operates the department’s fire rescue boat. An avid scuba diver for 20 years, Susan is currently using her diving experience to assist her department in forming a police and fire department dive rescue team. She plans to become a public safety dive instructor to increase her team’s training capabilities and broaden their operational scope.