EAST TEXAS (KYTX) -- Sam Turner has been a driver and pump operator for the Longview Fire Department for nearly 11 years. He originally wanted to be an electrical engineer, but a summer job changed that.
"I went to work for a guy that chartered fishing boats," he said. "He was a retired New Jersey fireman. Working for him over three months and hearing his stories. I called my folks up one day and said I'm coming home. I know what I want to do."
Sam, like most in the fire department, was drawn to the profession by a desire to help people. But there is another element that the job provides.
"I'm a go getter," he said. "I like to be there in the middle of the action and this was a perfect fit for me because just wanting to help people through tough times and being right there in the middle of the action."
Sam's job is not only dangerous but rigid. His schedule requires him to be at work for 24 hrs at a time, with two days off in between.
Sam's wife Candi says his schedule can be a burden at times.
"He's missing out on holidays and simple things," she said. "Like stuff at the church that he's not able to go with me or birthday parties."
On the flip side, during his 48 hours off, Sam's able to spend a lot of time with his two boys.
"Most dads don't do that. He likes to go out and work like I do and I get to spend a lot of time doing that with him."
Ryan Nicholson has been with the Longview Fire Department for almost five years. In 2010, he was named "Paramedic of the Year."
"I've always wanted to be a fireman," he said. "I've always wanted to be a husband and father."
For Ryan, being a firefighter was a no-brainer.
"You never know what you're going to do," he said. "That's what I love about this job. I'm not sitting behind a desk and a computer."
Ryan has been married to his wife Holly for seven years. They have a two-year-old daughter, Kamryn, and another baby on the way. Holly says Ryan has learned to leave the stress of work at work.
"He is able to cope well and then adjust to meet the other responsibilities that he needs to meet without it affecting other areas of his life," she said.
But it hasn't always been that way. Two summers ago, Ryan went out on a call that hit very close to home.
"A 2-year-old girl got left in a van," he said. "She was left in a van by her parents on accident. By the time we got there was really nothing we could do we were unable to resuscitate her and she passed away. I think that's why it affected me. There's so much similarities between this lifeless little girl and my little girl that's home full of life."
Through the good and bad, fighting fires is more than a job for Ryan and Sam. It's a way of life.
"I've dedicated a part of my life to the department and I'm going to be there for them."
Sam Turner's two sons plan to follow in their father's footsteps and become firefighters. The firefighters say the department is like a second family for them, providing support when they are away from their real families.
Richard Trelles KYTX CBS 19 News
