Chelsea Taylor, 34, suffered the horror fall while on holiday in Costa Rica in 2022.
An inspiring Scots woman has become a firefighter after breaking her back on holiday and learning to walk again.
Chelsea Taylor, 34, had been on holiday in Costa Rica when she suffered a horror fall in 2022. The injury had a devastating impact on her health and saw her spend several months in a wheelchair and move in with her parents for support.
At the time of the horror ordeal, Chelsea had already worked in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) as a qualified appliance driver.
However, the injury left her in a wheelchair and unable to walk – forcing her to put a pause on her career.
Chelsea, from Dundee, said: “I went from having a really active job and lifestyle to being in a wheelchair, being stuck in bed and moving back in with my parents for support.
“My life changed a lot and it was really hard. I had to undergo spinal surgery and learn to walk again. But I was determined to get my life back and was back on the run as a firefighter six months after my first surgery.”
Chelsea initially returned to firefighter life but a second surgery last year meant she had to step back from the job she loved. After a spell within the SFRS Community Action Team, Chelsea spotted vacancies for the SFRS Dundee operations control room.
After successfully navigating training, Chelsea started life as a control firefighter in September. After leaning to walk again, she’s now relishing her new role.
Control firefighters provide life-saving guidance to people in need and play a critical role in mobilising fire appliances and specialist resources in response to emergencies.
Chelsea said: “Stepping back from being on the run was a bitter pill to swallow. But joining operations control is one of the best decisions I have ever made. You learn something new every day and the job is so much more than people realise.
“The variation of calls we get is incredible and there’s always something we can do to help. I still feel like I’m making a real difference and that’s really important to me.”
The SFRS is currently recruiting Control firefighters for its three Operations Control rooms in Dundee, Edinburgh and Johnstone.
You can learn more about the role and application process on the SFRS website.
