Vicksburg native Jazmine Carter named Hattiesburg Firefighter of the Year

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — 

Jazmine Carter, a Vicksburg native, has been named Firefighter of the Year for the Hattiesburg Fire Department.

Carter officially received the honor in April and said she was surprised when she learned she had been selected.

“I was completely shocked, unexpected,” Carter told WDAM 7. “I thought to be a firefighter, I thought you had to do something spectacular, save a life or anything, but my peers saw otherwise. That hard work, dedication, doing the right thing.”

Carter was later recognized during a ceremony attended by family, friends and supporters who gathered to hear her acceptance speech after receiving the department’s top honor.

In a Facebook post following the ceremony, Carter thanked those who supported her throughout the journey.

“I was so nervous when I gave my speech so everything I wanted to say went out the window,” Carter wrote. “I do want to thank God for allowing me to be in the position and career. He’s the one that gives me strength and grace to do the job.”

She also thanked her family for traveling to celebrate the moment and shared a message to Ava(daughter), whom she referred to as her motivation.

“You don’t have to follow my path, but I guarantee you this, that yours will be a path of hard work, success, and greatness, and I’ll be there every step of the way,” Carter wrote.