Scarlett Mcdaniel

Firefighter/EMT, Salisbury Fire Department

Native of Rowan County

Industry: City Government

Scarlett Mcdaniel grew up on High Rock Lake and as an adult, the lake is always calling her. It’s her favorite outdoor space in her home county, a place she returned to from Harrisburg for work as a firefighter and EMT with the Salisbury Fire Department.

She has lived in Rowan County for 32 years, and her daughters, Addison, 12, and Caroline, 8, are now enjoying High Rock Lake. “I was raised on the lake,” Scarlett says. “We always spent all our free time on boats and jet skis. It’s simple fun. Now, we take our kids. It’s a tradition.”

Scarlett has worked for the City of Salisbury for four years and admires the dedication and compassion that she sees in her fellow firefighters. “We care,” she says. “Every single call, we give 100 percent.” She likes to work downtown special events, such as the Cheerwine Festival  — another favorite of hers — Juneteenth, and concerts at Bell Tower Green Park. “It’s fun and I like to meet and talk with residents. I enjoy being there to provide help if needed.”

She is also drawn to the historic nature of her home county. “The amount of history that Rowan County has is unlike any other, for me anyway,” she says. “I have recently started digging into my ancestry, and I love visiting places that are related to my heritage!”

Her parents are both interested in local history so it is natural for her to appreciate what she calls “hidden gems” in the historic buildings that abound here. “The houses are amazing on Fulton Street,” she says. “Original doors, doorknobs, windows.” She recommends that first-timers to Salisbury walk through the historic neighborhoods and downtown, taking in the new Bell Tower Park and the historic Salisbury Train Station.

The big summer Cheerwine Festival is a favorite because it links history with good times. “Cheerwine is a local thing and is true to Salisbury,” she says of the soft drink that is a Rowan County original.

The Rowan County slogan, “Be an Original,” fits well. “I think it means to bring something to your town that’s original to you,” she says. “Come and break the mold.”

Hap’s Grill, her favorite restaurant, fits into her ideas of the historic and the original. “It’s such an old part of Salisbury … kind of like a secret to natives,” she says. “Everyone local knows about Hap’s Grill.”