Whether she's pulling on her hot shield to battle a blaze or her referee's whistle to call a game, Lisa Jones knows the same attributes that called her to firefighting make her a better official.

"You have to remain cool and calm in tough situations," she said. "Even if you're going crazy inside, on the outside you'd better be calm and collected. You're in the nitty-gritty and you've got to come with the special stuff."

A collegiate basketball player at Arizona State University, Jones always knew she wanted to give back to her south Phoenix community and to the game that taught her so much. After college, she coached her high-school team for three years, and then became an official.

"I love it," she said. "I think I have the best seat in the house, watching the athletes. Still being an athlete myself, I like to stay fit, and also, I feel like I have a good grasp of the game, being a player, coach and now an official."

With a schedule that allows her 24 hours on and 48 hours off with the Phoenix Fire Department, fitting in games in not-too-distant locales isn't as difficult as it would be with a regular 9-to-5, Monday-through-Friday schedule.

The late games with an early flight the next morning, the nonstop travel between November and March, the criticism from fans, coaches and players all are things Jones said she wouldn't trade for the world, even if they sometimes try her patience. She feeds off of boos from the crowd as much as she does the cheering.

"The criticism, I don't think it's a game without it. Actually booing, that excites me. That's part of the game. That shows that somebody's in the audience cheering their team, which is encouraging to the young student-athletes who are on the court," she said. "I guess I have a different perspective on it. If they're not cheering or booing, they're not involved, and that's just part of the game."

An NCAA official for six years, five at the Division I level, Jones has found success in both her careers. Now a captain in the Phoenix Fire Department -- no saluting required -- Jones also was chosen to be part of that city's team at the Today show's Hero competition in New York City. During her trip, Jones gained an experience she will never forget -- going behind the chain link fence and into the heart of Ground Zero.

"It was amazing, especially being a firefighter and knowing so many firefighters' lives were lost at that exact site," she said. "It was kind of a trip to absorb it all."

Officials at the Phoenix Fire Department are very supportive and encourage employees to pursue things that they love to do, she said. That environment allowed Jones to officiate at the Mideast regional final in 2004, running up and down the court with student-athletes from Duke University and the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

"I had never refereed (Duke's) Alana Beard, and I had heard so much about (Minnesota's) Lindsay Whalen," Jones said. "Standing next to them on the free-throw line was just cool. It was a great game."

While refereeing the big game is always something to aspire to, Jones was first attracted to the field by longtime official Marla Denham, now coordinator of officials for the Big Sky Conference. Denham, Jones said, was her inspiration. She encouraged Jones to get in the game in a new way, and lead by example.

"The coaches always trusted her; they just believed that she was going to be fair, that she was going to make the right decision," Jones said. "Whether it was going to go against them, or for them, they knew that she was only loyal to the game. Just to witness that firsthand is kind of awesome."

Without Denham, Jones would likely not be spending her winter weekends in airports, in strange hotel rooms and on basketball courts all over the country. She said Denham was the one who initially talked to her about officiating -- otherwise, Jones would likely not still be involved in the game.

She hopes others take an active approach to recruiting new officials, including talking to collegiate players while still in school or close to graduation.

"I really don't think they're aware of all the good things that come along with officiating and the fact that our sport will be so much better if collegiate athletes participated as referees," she said. "We should do a better job of bridging that gap between when our players graduate and when they're developing their careers. Even though I have (another) career, this is still a very important part of my life. I'm just thankful somebody told me about it."