Michele Martinez was managing life as a single parent when she responded to a lifelong calling to save lives.  16 years later, she is still working as a paramedic at the Chicago Fire Department. Why'd she make the call? She tells Start TV in the video above, "I think personally, I have that need to save that life."

In her line of work, Martinez also contributes to NBCUniversal's Chicago Fire as a consultant to writers, directors and actors about paramedic skills, procedures and policies. She talks about the importance of encouraging more and more women to become paramedics in the video below, "We can do the job. We’re strong.”

Watch Martinez discuss why more women are becoming paramedics:

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