Firefighter Robyn Bishop is a lifetime learner

In the popular book “Fahrenheit 451” fire and books are sort of enemies to each other; however, it’s these two elements that make up a major part of the life of Polson High teacher and volunteer firefighter Robyn Bishop.

Bishop was born in Cody, Wyo., and moved to Helena in middle school. After graduating from Helena High she went to the University of Montana to study English which led her eventually to a teaching job in Drummond. 

It was a few summers spent working at Camp Marshall that helped Bishop know where she wanted to live. 

“I had fallen in love with the lake, so I came up here. There just wasn’t a lake in Drummond,” said Bishop.

It was also a friendship with the site manager of Camp Marshall where Bishop learned about the volunteer fire department. For Bishop the draw of the department was simple: community.

“I had no previous aspirations of being in the fire department … I was looking for community and for things that would stretch my skill set,” Bishop added.

Despite the firefighting world being one dominated by males, Bishop has found a home and a community with what she calls her “fire family.” It doesn’t hurt either that her daughter has a “whole network of uncles” now, in addition to her dad, veteran firefighter Pete Bishop.

For Robyn, her position in a male-dominated world feels natural. “I have always been a tomboy, and a lot of my good friends have always been guys. So, I’m very fluent in good-natured trash talk.”

When Bishop isn’t helping put out fires or chasing around her 4-year-old daughter, she's teaching English to grades 9 and 11, which derives from one of her other passions – reading.

The connection between the fire department and teaching isn’t just about serving her community, it's also about her goal to be a lifelong learner.

“That is a good connecting piece for me. I want to be a lifelong learner, and these are skill sets I'd love to learn and have," Bishop said. "I enjoy that learning process.” 

The educator also highlights the fact that learning new things can be frustrating and says her experience with the fire department helps her relate to her students in that respect. 

“I just really love seeing kids get things and start to figure stuff out,” said Bishop.

Bishop didn’t shy away from the fact that her role in the fire department helps her credibility and enhances her "cool" factor in the classroom. 

“Particularly the freshmen – they’re always like whoa you’re a firefighter,” said Bishop with a grin.  

The volunteer firefighter and teacher is consistently serving her community, and all she really asks from the community in return is to show up, maybe volunteer, support the youth, and not to put things on their heaters.