Meet The Team: Brad Hawthorne

"My dad is the hardest working man I know. He has always been an amazing provider for our family. He is a man of integrity, has solid morals, deep faith, and can light up any room with his banter and jokes. You can tell that he loves his job here at FIRST as well as his job with HFD because there is a level of excellence in his performance that is a direct result of being passionate about what he does. He is a great leader and boss because he leads by example. I am extremely proud to call him my dad!"

- Tabitha Stafford

So says the daughter and training assistant, of today's team member Brad Hawthorne. Brad has been with the company pretty much from the start, he jokes that he had a full head of hair back then. However, loss of hair isn't necessary proof of the hard work he does here.

He brings with him over 28 years of experience from the Houston Fire Department, and has earned the respect of the men who call him Captain, and also the respect of his team mates and colleagues here at F.I.R.S.T.

He's one of the biggest jokesters you'll ever come across, he's not settled unless those around him are laughing or in good humor. And while there's no shortage of the comedic relief he provides, it's also obvious that he takes his job seriously. As Training Coordinator, he manages our highly experienced panel of instructors. Communicating with them in an appreciative and respectful manner is of utmost importance to him, and with good results. F.I.R.S.T.'s training department receives excellent feedback from their clients, a big part of that has to do with our instructors, but not to be overlooked is one of the first person's our clients come in contact with, which is Brad.

We wont tell him this but it can be noted that on more than one occasion some of F.I.R.S.T.'s rescue team members will comment on how they look up to Brad. We're sure that has a lot to do with the qualities that his daughter outlined at the start of this article.

Well Captain Brad Hawthorne, Hollywood Hawthorne or just simply Brad, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your hard work. We're not sure how you're able to accomplish all you do, but we sure do appreciate it!

Interview

What do you appreciate about F.I.R.S.T.? : "Why do I like FIRST, The people they make going into work fun. They are dedicated to their craft and it shows. It is great to be tied to something like that. I love what I do, it has its ups and downs but overall it's fun. I love passing on the knowledge that I have learned over the years to others. I can tell you a lot of ways of how not to do something, because I've screwed up doing it. Making the right decision the first time is always best."

Outside of work what is important to you?: "My family, and my Church are the most important aspects of my life. I also love to hunt and fish. I love to work here, but a bad day of hunting or fishing beats a good day at work!"

From the Team

"Brad Hawthorne, He is one super great guy that I admire and respect very much due to great life values. Brad reminds me so much of his Dad “Big Haw” as we called him at HFD. He was a Senior Captain just like Brad, that wasn’t just a leader but a team member that treats his subordinates like family. I see those same values in Brad as I did in his dad and if you’ve been around him very much you will understand why everyone respects him so much. If you haven’t been around Brad very much you may not have fallen victim or witnessed one of his outlandish pranks or jokes he plays on unsuspecting victims. Brad is very dedicated to his family, church, HFD, FIRST and most of all his fishing & hunting. I do believe he could use a new hairdoo because none of us know if it’s curly, straight, or if there is even any hair. When Roy Creager asked me who I thought should take over the training division [when the position opened up], I recommended Brad. Roy agreed for which we have never regretted that decision. Brad I know your dad is looking down and he’s just as proud you as I am and everyone in your life especially your family which includes HFD & FIRST. Thanks for being the person you are!" - Logan Reininger

"Brad is larger than life in rescue and fire fighting, but his heart is even bigger. Works well with his team, management and customers. Many customers we have in rescue are a direct result of our training department that he manages. Both in the field and in the office, Brad is a central part of FIRST's success." - Eric Meyer

"He's a good boss. I appreciate he doesn't take himself too seriously, there's not much he wouldn't do for a laugh. What he does take seriously is doing a good job, the feelings of the people he manages and probably most importantly his family. People always say 'In life, you work for good people and some not so great'. Brad is definitely "good people". " - Amanda Hernandez

"I don't even know what to say, he's a great guy. I wish there was something bad I could say to give him a hard time, but what do you say? I will say, he's a good role model. There are very few people that I call on for advise on the fire department, or even in life and Brad is one of them. I appreciate how he still loves his work at the fire station, hearing him talk about our job is contagious, even after so many years in the HFD." - Jason Horner

#MeetTheTeam #TeamFIRST #FamilyFIRST #Hunting #Fishing #Leader #Boss #HFD #HoustonFirefighter #Firefighter #Houston #Rescue #FireBrigade