Women's History Month: An interview with Holly Platte

March 13, 2025

Horry County Fire-Rescue Firefighter/AEMT Holly Platte didn’t grow up wanting to be a first responder. She has two brothers and always wanted to do what the boys were doing growing up.

After going to school for business and working a few office jobs, Holly decided she wanted more from life.

“I had a 30-life crisis,” she admits. “When I turned 30, I said ‘Ok, I hate everything about this,’ so I signed up to go back to school for EMT and started as a volunteer for Horry County.”

Before she knew it, she was finished with EMT school and enrolling in the next recruit class with Horry County; the rest is history. She loves the second family she’s found thanks to the brotherhood of the fire service.

“I really do feel like my crew is my second family… We push each other hard and give each other a hard time, but it’s really like being with another part of your family every third day,” she says.

Looking back, a career as a first responder makes sense for Holly. She’s naturally athletic and growing up with brothers made her extra determined.

“My whole family grew up doing martial arts,” Holly continues, “That’s probably where the competitiveness comes from.”