Heart Warming Video of A Father and Son in the Fire Service. Meet Kevin and Chris Shafer.

“I started my first paid fire department job in 1991. A very good friend of mine, Kevin Shafer, started in the same department the next year and went through fire training at the Mississippi State Fire Academy that same year. We worked together there for a couple of years and then together again in Southaven, MS for awhile.His first child was a boy, Christopher, and it didn’t take long for him to be a familiar site around the fire station. After a couple of years in South…aven, Kevin packed his family up for big dreams in the Washington, DC. area. It was not long however, before his dreams were not those of the entire family. For whatever the myriad of reasons that couples split, Kevin soon found himself divorced with a wife that moved back to her hometown with the kids.For a very long time, Kevin was a special occasion and 2 week a year Dad. I don’t say that to judge him, he did what he thought was the best he could with the situation he had to deal with. I was close with Kevin’s kids when they were young and when the teenage years got rough, served as a surragate Uncle to try and instill some things in him (and his sister) that are sometimes hard for a single or newly remarried mom and a Dad that lives 15 hours away. Both Christopher and his sister would come to Memphis and spend weeks with me and my family at a time during the summer.

Today, 20 years after graduating from the MS State Fire Academy himself, Kevin returned 3 days prior to Christophers graduation from the same place. You see there has been a ruse planned for weeks that not very many people new about. This morning on one of Christophers final scenario based firefighting evolutions, his Dad was in town to be a downed firefighter in his son’s scenario.

As he was taught, Christopher and his partner hit all the benchmarks – bled the air out of the hose, entered on a pattern, located and extinguished the fire, and located and removed the downed firefighter . It was only then that he saw his Dads face as he worked to remove the SCBA face-piece from the “victim”. Christopher rocked back on his heels and got that head cocked over confused puppy dog look and took a double and probably a triple take before being overwhelmed with joy.

If Kevin is anything like me – and he is, and if my kids are anything like his – and they are; in that moment Christopher played out what has unknowingly done countless times before – he saved his Dad.

It is sobering to know where you would be, or no longer be, had you not know that you must persevere for your children. Well played Kevin and Christopher Shafer. Today I could not be any prouder of either of you.

Robert Kramer

Memphis FD