Igniting a Future of Local Leadership

How One Double Eagle Sparks Change in Savannah

Medical emergencies, car accidents, structure fires, hazardous material spills and natural disasters – each unpredictable moment is an opportunity to provide hope on someone’s worst day. 

Amid the chaos is fire engineer Tyler Barrett (’14,’17). As part of the Savannah Fire Department’s Rescue 1, C-shift, her ability to navigate the traffic-laden streets of Savannah is imperative to the overall response.

The life of a firefighter is anything but routine, though Barrett said that’s exactly what makes the job so rewarding.

Prior to entering a life of public service, Barrett set out on a different journey. But, much like maneuvering through the crowded streets of a historic city, the path to greatness isn’t always a straight line.

“I received multiple scholarship offers to different colleges, some near and some far but the one that stuck out was Mars Hill College, right outside of Asheville, North Carolina. I wanted to see a new city, and especially being in the mountains, it felt like the best choice for me.”

Despite enjoying her time in the mountains, the call of the coast became persistent, and family-minded Barrett began to rethink the decision to leave behind the people and community she had fallen in love with while she was in high school.

“The coaches of the now Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern had previously recruited me to play basketball for the University,” said Barrett. “After becoming a little homesick and wanting to move back to Savannah, I reached out following my sophomore year at Mars Hill to see if they still had a spot open for me on the team. Surprisingly, they did.”

She would start 20 out of 27 games during her two years with Armstrong. After graduating, she switched gears to join the coaching staff for the incredible athletes of the women’s basketball team.

As a student-athlete throughout school, coaching was, at first, the most meaningful career choice Barrett had considered. With a passion and drive to help others exceed expectations, she set out on a path that complemented the life of a coach.

“There were so many opportunities in college, especially with Georgia Southern. The options I had to continue schooling and coaching were right in front of me. I decided to pursue a master’s degree in sports medicine while continuing to coach,” Barrett said. 

During the final year of her graduate program at Georgia Southern, the desire to be part of something bigger continued to grow.

Before moving to Richmond Hill in eighth grade, Barrett lived 45 minutes from the heart of New York City. However, like many people living in the area in the early 2000s, Sept. 11, 2001 would change her perspective on public safety permanently.

“My dad was a police officer when 9/11 took place,” she explained. “He spent a few days down at Ground Zero which really impacted my family and I.”

After the events of 9/11, Barrett’s father, Glenn Carlson, eventually entered the fire service and later joined the Savannah Fire Department after the family moved to Georgia. 

“My siblings and I loved visiting the police station when we lived in New York,” she said. “We then enjoyed visiting the fire station our dad worked at when we lived in Georgia. Public safety has always been a big part of our lives.” 

Barrett carried the memory of that horrific day and honored the lives lost that day by going on to organize Savannah’s only annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb event, inviting community members to walk the same number of steps as firefighters on the fateful day. 

However, while finishing her graduate degree, she confided in her family about the choice to move forward in a different direction. 

“I remember having a conversation with my parents following an internship required for my sports medicine program. I told them I wanted to do more for the community and give back in the same ways I saw the military and first responders give back. I wanted a career that would challenge me every day,” she recalled. 

That’s where Georgia Southern’s faculty stepped in to support her new journey of becoming a firefighter.

“The faculty and advising team at Georgia Southern’s Armstrong Campus were extremely supportive of my decision to join the fire academy despite still being in graduate school,” said Barrett. “I was thankful that they supported me and worked with my schedule that drastically changed in March 2017 when I began attending the fire academy four days per week. The workload was a lot between graduate school and learning to be a firefighter, but with the support and guidance that I had, I was able to complete my master’s, graduate from Georgia Southern in May 2017 and continue the fire academy.”

Today, Barrett celebrates more than a decade as part of Savannah Fire Department’s crew of professional firefighters.

Although Barrett didn’t follow a traditional coaching career, coaching and sports medicine remain a central part of her work in the field. She leads Savannah Fire Department’s Peer Fitness Team and created a program, Camp Ignite, a three-day camp that promotes confidence, empowerment, inspiration and teamwork in girls who may be interested in a firefighting career. 

“The girls in the program come ready to learn and be pushed to their limit,” Barrett said. “They learn so much about being resilient, being a leader and making a difference in their communities.”

Barrett also organizes the annual #HonorMark 5K, 10K, 5K Ruck & Kids Fun Run, which honors Mark Hummeldorf, who served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps before becoming a local firefighter and paramedic. He died in a car accident in 2017.

Proceeds from the annual run benefit the #HonorMark Foundation, which supports local first responders and military families in need.

“It makes me proud to serve the community that helped shape me. I will continue giving back to the city that has given me so much,” she explained. 

Her passion and commitment continue to inspire those around her and spark positive change throughout Savannah and beyond.

“Georgia Southern’s Armstrong Campus made me realize that I could do anything I put my mind to, and the support from the college and faculty played an integral part of my success thus far,” Barrett said.

— Emily Dietrich