Meet your Carlton Firefighters!

In this edition of our "Meet the Firefighters" series, we'll be introducing you to our Senior Advisor! As a Senior Advisor, responsibilities include assisting with grant paperwork, filing run sheets, communications, resource allocation, and more. Aside from all these obligations, she also continues to act as a firefighter for regular calls.

For this installment, we'd like to introduce you to Ally Barr.

Ally (left) with other CVFD firefighters giving a presentation to Boy Scouts about firefighters.

A little get to know me: "I'm Ally Barr, and I've been with Carlton Fire since 2018. I'm a licensed midwife in the state of Texas and have a passion for mothers and babies. My training led me to find my place in Carlton. I work mostly at accident scenes, but I have been on the back of a truck holding a hose more times than I can count. I've always enjoyed giving back to the community and have been voted the "mom" of the department. I pitch in wherever I'm needed and in whatever capacity. I try to be as active as possible with the department and keep our paperwork straight. I love broadening my education and am looking forward to all the new training opportunities coming our way."

As always, we've asked our firefighters a series of questions that are a little bit more intense to try and get to know them on a deeper level! Here are a few from Senior Advisor Ally!

Ally (front row on the left) pictured with several other CVFD members at the 2025 "Dare-A-Oke" Fundraiser.

What is a typical day for you when all is calm, and how do you balance your normal life with being a firefighter?

"A normal day for me is anything but normal. I could be called to a birth, I could be managing a restaurant, I could be running a bar, or I could be out to dinner with one of my seven children. Volunteer Firefighting fits into the chaos of my life."

How have you prepared for the rigorous demands of this job?

"Carlton VFD challenges its firefighters to train and prepare in every way possible. We are involved in physical training, online education, and learn from other departments with more experience. Also, our Chief never asks us to participate in something that we are unqualified for."

What are the most important qualities that a Firefighter must possess?

"Above all else, I believe a firefighter must possess a heart of integrity, honesty, compassion, and servant leadership. The physical skills and mental knowledge can be learned, but the qualities of the men and women who put their lives on the line are inborn."

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges facing the fire service today?

"The biggest challenges facing the fire service today, and I believe it's always been the biggest challenge, is having enough personnel, enough funding, and enough passion to show up and show out."

What do you hope to achieve in your time as a firefighter?

"During my time as a firefighter, my hope would be to only do the best of my ability, save life and livelihood as much as possible, and inspire others to volunteer as their hearts lead them. Getting involved in providing safety for your community is a reward unto itself."

What is one thing you would tell someone who is considering becoming a firefighter?

"To anyone who is considering becoming a firefighter, I would say contact your local department. Get involved. Start training, start learning, and you will soon realize that while it may be traumatic at points, volunteer firefighting might just bring more joy to your life than you've ever known."

Ally (right side, behind SCBA case) alongside CVFD Firefighters while teaching Boy Scouts about Fire Safety

Senior Advisor Ally Barr has dedicated over 7 years to Carlton VFD, and none of her sacrifices have gone unnoticed. She is always willing to help, keeps all of the paperwork in line, provides support for other Senior Officers, and will be the first one to break off to check on the firefighters themselves. She has always been diligent in "protecting her own," allocating resources as needed, providing physical and mental evaluations to check on other firefighters, and even just willing to jump in on a hose line to let someone else take a break. Her heart knows no bounds when it comes to the protection of civilians or other firefighters, and will always give 110% to keep everyone safe and taken care of.

Carlton VFD Chief, Drew Barr: "She's my mother, so obviously, there's bias here as well. But since I've been Chief, she's always had my back, helping out with anything and everything- which means a lot, because there's a LOT of paperwork and behind-the-scenes stuff that people don't see. She's a little antsy when it comes to me or my brother (especially with injuries sustained), but she's one of the few people I'd trust in a heartbeat with any decision that needed to be made. She won't quit when it comes to helping out the other firefighters, even if she does force us to take a break."

Carlton VFD Firefighter, Keyon Coleman: "She's a very laid-back and funny person. She's also invaluable when anyone has a question or a problem, like she just always has an answer."

Carlton VFD Firefighter, Luke Barr: "I love my mom, and she is always willing to lend an ear whenever anyone needs it. She helps out a lot with the Board and paperwork side as well, and is always willing to help however she can when we're on a scene."

Overall, Ally is described by her team as "attentive," "extremely helpful," and "caring." She really has become the "mom" of the Fire Department, and we're beyond grateful to have her working with us! No matter the time or day, if there's a problem, she has a solution. Ally strives to make a difference whenever and however she can, on and off a scene. Carlton VFD is lucky to have her!