With 32 years of firefighting under his belt, Huntsville Fire Department assistant fire chief John Waldo has become one of the most respected and knowledgeable firemen in Walker County. Now that his son John-Ronald Waldo has joined the Crabb’s Prairie Volunteer Fire Department, the seasoned veteran is grateful to have the opportunity to share his wealth of knowledge with his son as he begins his own journey into life as a firefighter.

Families serving together in the firefighting profession has a long history in northern areas like New York and Boston, yet the Waldos story from Texas is no different.

The tradition began when John first began firefighting at the age of 16 in Conroe when he saw an ad in a local newspaper.

“I saw an ad saying they needed volunteers and I applied,” John said. “My dad had to drive me to my first call because I didn’t have my driver’s license.”

Following his father’s lead, John-Ronald joined the firefighting profession at a young age as well when he signed up to volunteer in September at the age of 18. Yet for John-Ronald, becoming a firefighter was something he grew up with and something he always knew he wanted to do.

“My dad was a very big influence,” John-Ronald said. “Knowing the amount of relief on people’s faces and how good the Huntsville Fire Department is trained – growing up, it was just something dad did.”

As a child, John-Ronald quickly grew accustomed to the sound of the pager going off and riding with his father to calls across the county. Becoming a firefighter was a source of pride for the son watching his father serve the community, and both knew it was something John-Ronald would probably end up doing as well.

“I was proud of him,” John said about the first time his son told him he also wanted to be a firefighter. “It is every dad’s dream to have his son following his footsteps. And we are getting old, so we need young people to take over.”

While laws concerning nepotism prevent the father-son duo from serving together in the same department, the Waldo’s have had the opportunity to fight several fires alongside one another.

Most notably, the pair had the chance to fight one of the largest fires in Walker County together when 250 acres burned near FM 1696 in late June. Riding up to the burning forest in the fire truck, John-Ronald said he was eager to get the situation taken care of.

“I never would have guessed something could move that fast,” John-Ronald said. “I was ready to get out and do my job. Seeing the knowledge my dad had – it was amazing to see how his experience could save lives.”

Yet John chose to stand back and wait for the right moment to strike, using his ability to judge where and when the fire would burn before sending in his men.

“That is where experience comes in; it is better to let the fire burn to you than run out and fight,” John said. “Our concern was the other firefighters on the other side.”

Even when serving together, father and son maintain a sense of their different ranks and fight together as firemen and not as father and son.

Growing up with many of the men who run the HFD today, it would have been easy for John-Ronald to see the officers as friends and not superiors. Because of this, Theresa Waldo, wife of John and mother of John-Ronald, said she felt it important that her son recognize the seniority of the officers, including his father, and respect them as such.

“I was insistent that he address them as captain or chief,” Theresa said. “It’s extremely important to be addressed as that. They work hard to attain that rank and that needs to be recognized.”

As John-Ronald enters his second year at Sam Houston State University next fall, he also carries on a family tradition of Bearkat pride, started by his father who graduated from SHSU in 1984 and his sister, Amanda, who graduated in 2008. All of the Waldo’s earned or are pursuing degrees in criminal justice.

While John and his son may be at different stages in their firefighting careers, the chance to share their love of serving the community is something that both men can appreciate.

“It’s all good, it’s what I do,” John said. “Sometimes people come up and remember when you saved them or their house ten years ago and they respect you for that. It’s just another day at work.”