Off Probation — Becoming Austin Fire

In Episode 6 — and the final episode of 2025 — Country reaches a milestone he worked to earn: getting off probation and becoming a real Austin firefighter.This chapter dives into some of his most defining early moments on shift, including major Christmas Day fires — most notably the Swedish Hill Bakery fire — where the job didn’t pause for the holiday. He also talks about the beginning of his dive career, learning the technical side of the department, and what it really means to earn trust behind the wheel of an apparatus.From running different hose types to driving trucks, Country shares how those skills came together when he was assigned to the experimental truck — a role that caught every second alarm in the city.The episode also highlights the continued influence of his mentors, the chaos and camaraderie of staying at Central, and how those early years shaped the firefighter he would become.Stay tuned for 2026.