Most little boys dream of growing up to be just like their fathers, and three Cañon City firefighters are doing just that – directly following in their dad’s footsteps.
Firefighters are known to be tightknit group, but the Cañon City Fire Department is like a family within a family.
In a department with 30 full-time career firefighters, there are three active duty father-son sets, but the dads and sons don’t work the same shifts and the fathers are not in direct supervisory roles over their sons. Battalion Chief Joel Foster started with the department as a volunteer in 1981 and began his full-time career with the department the next year. His dad, also named Joel Foster, was the assistant fire chief there until he retired in 1974.
“I followed his footsteps, and now Lane is following the same course,” he said.
When his son, Lane Foster, 24, is on duty and Joel hears a call come in, he does worry a little.
“I turn on the radio and see where they’re going and what they’re doing,” Joel said.