Before They're Gone

A house that looked like it was breathing.

In this episode, Country walks you through one of the most intense calls of his career, a rare backdraft in Austin, Texas. As the house started “puffing,” everyone on scene knew exactly what it meant. No one had to say a word. Training took over, and so did trust.

We also get into what life looked like around that time, from a boys trip to Cozumel and diving stories, to stepping into leadership as a Lieutenant and filling in as Captain at Central Station.

It’s one of those episodes that really shows what the job is like in the moment, and what stays with you long after it’s over.

“Hazmat is Fun and Always Wear Clean Underwear” might get a laugh, but for Country, it holds more truth than you’d expect.

In this episode, we follow his path to becoming a lieutenant at Central Station. He walks through the process, the studying, and what it really takes to step into a leadership role.

But the job has a way of testing you when you least expect it.

An unexpected hazmat call on Congress Ave in Austin, Tx turns an ordinary day into something else entirely. What starts off routine quickly shifts, and before it’s over, it leads to full decontamination… and yes, stripping down right there on scene.

It’s a reminder that no matter how much you prepare, you still have to meet the moment when it comes.

Along the way, Country shares a few other calls and the kind of lessons that only come from doing the job for real.

Because sometimes the simplest advice is the kind you carry with you forever.

Every Texas flooding season brought danger to low water crossings.

During one downpour weekend, Dad was working the dive van and swiftwater boat for Austin when they got a call from Thorndale—over an hour and 40 minutes away—for mutual mutual  aid. A car was trapped with an elderly couple inside.

Dad and two others crewed the van and went to help. They acted fast, worked as a team, and successfully rescued the couple.

What started as a routine call led to something extraordinary. They had intended to submit their names for an AFD watch, but the chief went above and beyond—and awarded them a Medal of Valor.

Episode 12, Mutual Mutual Aid, is full of heroism, tension, and Dad showing how he stays calm and capable under pressure.

In 1991, after the Kuwait War, Dad had the opportunity to go to Saudi Arabia to help with a major oil spill.

It wasn’t something he had planned. He had to get special permission from the chief to go, and he had no idea how long he’d be gone.

What followed were long days in the desert, unexpected challenges, and stories I had never heard before. Things shifted. Plans changed. And like always, Dad adapted.

This episode is dramatic at times, surprisingly funny at others, and gives a glimpse into a chapter of his life that feels almost unreal now.

He left for Saudi Arabia not knowing what to expect. He came home and somehow ended up playing for the AFD Flames football team.

From halfway across the world back to Texas, this one is about saying yes, figuring it out, and stepping up when you’re needed.

In this episode of Before They’re Gone, it’s just me and Country again — and this time we go back to 1991.

After a massive explosion in Houston, my dad was sent down to help with industrial cleanup through EMTech. What started as a response to disaster turned into something much bigger.

That’s where he met Walter.

Walter was an environmental safety specialist. Dad was a firefighter and industrial cleanup guy. Two different roles. Same mission. What grew out of that job site was a friendship that lasted decades — from long days in hazardous conditions to annual ski trips and lifelong memories.

Walter is gone now. But the stories aren’t.

This episode isn’t just about explosions and cleanup work. It’s about the bonds built in hard places. The friendships formed in chaos. And the kind of people you never forget.

Listen to these stories. Collect the wisdom. Remember the names.

Before they’re Gone. 

Firefighters are known for their side jobs on days off but for Country, that usually meant more firefighting.

In this episode, we dig into the “bowl of spaghetti”: the tangled, overlapping roles, responsibilities, and calls that filled Country’s life beyond his assigned shifts at AFD. He was always lending a helping hand stepping in wherever he was needed, and rarely doing just one thing at a time.

This conversation is a mix of stories, lessons, and behind-the-scenes realities of the fire service. It’s messy, meaningful, and all connected, just like a bowl of spaghetti.

In Episode 8, the focus is the calls.

Country reflects on some of the largest and most demanding incidents he responded to as a firefighter, including six-alarm fires and major vehicle crashes. These are the stories of chaotic scenes, split-second decisions, and the work that happens when everything is on the line.

In Episode 7, Country reflects on dive training—something he dreamed about as a kid—and what it took to prepare for one of the most demanding roles in the fire service.

He shares what training was really like, what it meant to finally step into the water, and the calls he ran as a driver with the Austin Fire Department. 

A reflective look at a life spent answering calls, both above and below the surface.

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. 

In Episode 5, Country looks back on his first six months as a probationary firefighter at Central Fire Station — a station with two poles, no waiting, and no shortage of lessons.

This is where he landed on A-Shift, found his rhythm, and met his “Father of Fire,” Alex Trevino, whose mentorship shaped the way Country approached every call. From early fires to the stories still to come from his time at Central, this episode opens the door to one of the most defining chapters of his career.