Yuba City Fire Department welcomes their first-ever father and son duo to work together
Apr. 30—Growing up, Chase Kennedy enjoyed early memories of the firehouse thanks to his dad, Captain Kevin Kennedy. Chase and his siblings would sometimes come into the fire station as kids and find themselves drawn toward the fire engines.
Chase also has early memories from a Christmas tree charity event with the firefighters that they used to do.
"Really, my real memories from the Christmas tree event is (now retired battalion chief) Bubba (Stoddard) back in the day throwing me up in the air," Chase said. "I'd get to know all of the guys because I was really little."
No longer little, Chase recently became a firefighter in the same department that his dad works for: the Yuba City Fire Department. They are the department's first father and son pair who have worked together simultaneously.
Despite their connection, Kevin said he never steered Chase.
"We always wondered which kind of direction he would go," Kevin said. "Chase was definitely our wild card. He was our daredevil kid. He was the kid who of the three (children) wasn't afraid to jump the highest or get himself into trouble. Not that kind of trouble, but just jumping bikes and doing crazy stuff. I always thought he was the most outspoken and boisterous."
Kevin's oldest son also became a firefighter for the Sacramento Fire Department. So, it seems like Kevin's interest has spread.
"I admit I am a little bit biased, but I think the fire service is, in general, one of the best jobs in the world," Kevin said. "I've been in this department for close to 22 years, and I still come into work early every single day that I come into work, and I enjoy coming to work, and I look forward to what the day is going to bring and what we are going to do for the community."
The local community is meaningful to both Kevin and Chase. They both grew up in the area, and Chase said that he knows most people in the area.
"It's cool to know that all of these people that you know, and you love and talk to every week, you get to serve them and help them in their time of need," Chase said.
Kevin said that it makes him feel good to know that when he retires, Chase will still be around serving the community. After all, Chase said that the Yuba City Fire Department was his dream department. Chase was excited to receive the call that he had gotten the job.
"It's still surreal to this day," Chase said. "(After receiving the call) I just sat there speechless for a little while."
That call was the green light after he went through the firefighter academy with Yuba College, volunteered with the Sutter County Fire Department for over one year and worked for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for three seasons. But initially, Chase did not choose to tell his dad that he even applied to be a part of the Yuba City Fire Department because he did not want help.
When Chase did end up getting the job, people congratulated Kevin a lot and said that he did a great job. Kevin admitted to people that he did not do anything.
"I mean, yeah, I raised him to be a good man, but he got himself the job on his own," Kevin said.
While they both now work for the Yuba City Fire Department, Kevin works for Station 2, and Chase works for Station 7. Kevin would not be able to be Chase's normally assigned captain because the city does have some rules to prevent nepotism.
Looking forward, Kevin has faith in his son.
"I worry about all of my guys, right, so all of the firefighters. But I'm confident in the training that he is provided by the people that he works with — we've got a really solid organization," Kevin said. "Knowing the kind of person he is, I know he's going to put his all into it, and he's going to become very good at being a firefighter."
