April Yerke
Engineer/EMT at 2nd District Relief
A Little Q&A with the Hero
What’s your favorite part/thing about being a Firefighter-Paramedic?
My favorite part about being a firefighter is serving the people of the community. There is nothing better than going home after a shift knowing that you’ve helped someone.
Your favorite place for pizza in Chicago?
Wolfhound bar and Kitchen in Avondale. Great pizza and a great atmosphere.
What's your favorite drink?
My favorite drink is Stella.
Ketchup on a hot dog?
Never ketchup on hotdogs! We are in Chicago. The best place for a Chicago dog is the Home Depot!
Cubs or Sox?
Northside Sox fan here!
Do you have a favorite vacation spot?
I love Sedona, Arizona, the Keys, and Cancun.
If you weren't a firefighter/paramedic, what would you be doing for work?
If I wasn’t a firefighter I’d probably have my old job, a Chicago police officer. I did that for almost 10 years before I was hired to the greatest department in the country! I'm a born and raised Chicago girl. I went to Chicago public schools. Every job I’ve had was with the city. I started as a lifeguard for the Chicago park district working at the beach when I was 16. From there I became a police officer and now a firefighter. I feel honored to serve the people of our city.