Emma Longwell is a recent University of Central Florida graduate and a member of The Apopka Voice's journalism internship program.
By Emma Longwell, Interning Correspondent with The Apopka Voice
You don't really understand the fire service until you're standing in the firehouse, trying to keep up with the rhythm of conversations — part jokes, part trauma, part adrenaline. That's where I found myself one afternoon at the Apopka Fire Department, invited into a world I knew very little about. I never got to see the tower truck that day, but I got something more valuable: the people who ride it.
I sat down with three of Apopka's finest – Lieutenant Justin Joseph, Engineer Thomas Garner, and Firefighter Jacobe Brown – to get a look behind the sirens. What I found was a powerful mix of passion, humility, and dedication, from three very different men with one shared mission: serve, protect, and grow stronger together.
Joseph, Garner, and Brown provided me with real, unfiltered conversations about what it means to serve in one of the fire service's most intense and specialized roles. And for a journalist-in-training like me, getting that kind of access was humbling.
Tower Truck 101: What makes it different?
A tower truck isn't your average fire engine. It's a highly specialized vehicle equipped with an aerial platform and tools for high-angle rescues, ventilation, and major structure fires.
"A lot of it is more the stuff where their specialty skills are going to be utilized," Joseph explains.
Tower crews are used differently than engine crews – not constantly running calls, but always on standby for the heavy-hitters. Garner put it simply: "When we roll out, something big is happening."
The unexpected path to firefighting
Brown didn't grow up dreaming about this career.
"I was at UF (University of Florida), studying engineering," he told me. "I took a CPR class, made some friends with some of the instructors – firefighters – and I just fell in love with it. It changed everything."
Jacobe Brown (lower left corner) and his family of firefighters at the AFD.
Garner's path was shaped by family.
"My grandfather was with the City of Miami, my uncle with the City of Dade. I didn't do it right away out of high school, but I eventually did it."
Meanwhile, Joseph took the scenic route.
After graduating from UCF and earning a degree in education, he spent some time teaching before finally following the fire path. "I was horrible at it. I realized that I really wanted to be a coach and not a teacher," he laughs. "I decided to stop and listen. I want to get into the fire service.
Engineer Thomas Garner and Lieutenant Justin Joseph.
Moments that leave an impression
Brown still remembers the first life-changing moment on the job.
"During my probation year, we helped deliver a baby," he said. "A year later, we went back to that house on a totally different call – and she remembered me. Her daughter remembered me, and she showed me the baby. It was like when worlds collide."
Garner recalls a time at his former department when a quick response saved a man's life.
"So, we actually saved a guy, which is why you want to do it. That's probably the end goal of saving someone's life and bringing them back."
Joseph's proudest moment? Marching in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City – leading the parade in honor of the fallen 9/11 firefighters.
"That sense of pride – every time I put on my gear, I feel like Superman."
Inside a tower truck shift
So, what's a typical day like for this elite team? The crew painted a clear picture of what their shift looks like.
Brown walks in 30 minutes early, relieving the last shift, checking the truck, inspecting every tool, every compartment. "You've got to be ready for whatever's thrown at you." The day rolls into training, studying for paramedic school, maybe even a movie at night with the crew.
Garner and Joseph's roles are more specialized. Assigned to Tower One, their calls are technical: structural fires, rescue operations, and any situation demanding advanced skills. Chief Brown said, "They don't run as many calls, but when they do, it's generally something more technical, a little bit riskier at times."
Joseph leads the tower and the heavy rescue truck – a rolling toolbox full of gear.
"We do different functions that require different training, more extensive training, but we are also ready to do everything else too. We need to be multifaceted," he explains.
Training is constant — rope work, ladder drills, medical refreshers — because when the tone drops, there's no time to think, only time to act.
They're always preparing for chaos.
And they're not just firefighters. They're mechanics, medics, technicians, even chefs when it's their turn to cook. It's a lifestyle more than a job — one that demands everything you've got, and then some.
A family that trains, laughs, and heals together
What stood out most wasn't the gear or the stories – it was the bond. These men lean on each other. They show up for each other. It's brotherhood in its rawest form. This hit me hardest. The way they spoke about each other wasn't just friendly — it was familial.
"You gain a second family," Brown says simply. "I'm meeting brothers, sisters, moms, dads, husbands, wives, and I know I can lean on them in real-life stuff if I ever need."
Garner nods, adding that it's not just talk. "We're going to a get-together tomorrow for someone that's leaving to go somewhere else. She's moving to Fort Myers and she's the family with us."
Joseph takes it further. "We decompress together. We do shift outings together a lot of times. Most of the time they're at my place, which is even easier, so I don't have to go anywhere."
His pride in hosting the crew is palpable. "It's providing the guys and girls with a spot to just cut loose for a while and get their mind off stuff that might be on your mind."
It's not always heroic moments and rescue calls. It's coffee runs, teasing in the kitchen, and silent support after hard calls. The firehouse is home base, and these guys are each other's anchor.
More than a career – a calling
I walked into Station 1 expecting to maybe catch a glimpse of some gear and grab a few quotes. I walked out with a story that's still sitting heavy on my heart—in a good way. I didn't see the tower truck that day, but I did see the people who give it its meaning. And honestly, that was the part worth seeing anyway.
Photos courtesy of Captain Alex Klepper of the Apopka Fire Department.
