Lt. Aundrea Day: A trailblazer in the Warner Robins Fire Department | Remarkable Women

WARNER ROBINS — Firefighting demands courage, and this department trailblazer leads and serves her city.

Lt. Aundrea Day has been in the department for 14 years. As a lieutenant, she is responsible for managing the equipment and personnel on shift.

Day was motivated by her family’s tradition of service. As a military child, she moved to Warner Robins during high school, then became a military spouse and mother of three.

Her family’s influence continued with her mother, another remarkable woman in her life, who was a first-generation Mexican-American and served in the Air Force as a weapons controller, another male-dominated field.

Wanting to be there for her family, Day said she wanted to stay local but still serve her community. After the events of 9/11, she felt drawn to firefighting.

“When the city provided the opportunity, I prepared for it. I definitely had family members and personnel on the department help me through it. I applied, and I got picked up,” she said.

Support from her family has been crucial to Day throughout her career. She particularly credits her husband and now grown children, who fully understood the schedule and embraced military life.

“When we first got together, he was the one in the Air Force, and it’s my responsibility to take care of family and support him. So, after my kids were bigger and the opportunity arose, he stepped up and supported me,” she said. “Being a military brat, we have irregular schedules, so you make do with what you have. But if you prioritize family, and it’s number one priority, you’re always going to make it work for you.”

For Day, womanhood isn’t a setback; it’s a source of confidence and strength.

“We have a lot of strengths that differ from our male counterparts, and I feel like it’s important to embrace those differences and use them to the best of our abilities,” she said.

Day said her experience has helped her lead with a non-traditional and empathetic approach, drawing on the unique strengths she brings as a woman.

“I find that being a woman, being a mother, has allowed me to approach the job, approach my coworkers, and, more importantly, approach the citizens that I serve in the community. With that kind of mindset, I feel like I’m more approachable,” she said.

When Day joined the department, she was the only woman on staff. Today, four women serve the department, which she describes as well-rounded and supportive.

For her, supporting other women is paramount, and when she offers critical feedback, she aims to uplift rather than undermine.

“If we’re honest with each other and we’re supportive, that’s what supporting women looks like to me, celebrating all of our accomplishments,” she said.  

Day’s advice to other women is to always strive for self-improvement.

“Challenge yourself to remember your strengths, embrace them and use them in a positive manner,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to face your weaknesses or the things that you’re not as good at. Face them, correct them, and make them better.”