From Oil Fields to Fire Lanes

For Ethan Poston, the path to firefighting didn’t begin with a fire truck arriving at his elementary school — It wasn’t a childhood dream. Sometimes purpose finds us through the people we love, the bonds we build and the family we grow.  For Poston it was, his wife, his daughter and a desire to come home.

“I want to be home with my family,” Poston said. “I worked on an oil field out in New Mexico, and found out I was having a little baby girl. I want to be home with her.”

Poston, a cadet at Tyler Junior College Fire Academy, traded the oil rigs of the southwest for the firehouse training grounds of East Texas. His decision was shaped by proximity, a smooth application process, and a push from his wife.

“My wife is actually the one who looked up the job,” Poston explained. “It was close to same pay I was making out there. So why not try it out? So, I gave it a shot.”

After spending time volunteering with the Tyler Fire Department, Poston’s perspective began to open to the camaraderie and community that define the profession.

“Man, honestly, I didn’t take it serious,” Poston admits. “I started volunteering before I started here, and then I started to hang out with the guys and talk to them and It’s a real good, tight community. They’re all there to help each other out, help everybody out in community”

That sense of belonging carried Poston into the academy, where the physical demands matched the emotional commitment. At the academy, Poston faced the physical and mental rigors of rescue week, which includes crawling in full gear on hands and knees, and navigating through a maze.

“Rescue week is pretty physically demanding,” Poston expressed.

Pulling from his experience in New Mexico Poston comes into the Fire Academy with learned strategies, and techniques on how to handle high-risk situations where split-second decisions aren’t rare, and a calm demeanor is better than a frenzied rush.

“I moved up in positions on the rig, I was head over a couple guys. I had to tell them what to do, learn, teach new guys to come in, how to do stuff. What was the danger everything like that”

At the Tyler Fire Academy cadets are exposed to a range of different tasks, where some individuals may show greater aptitude than their peers. These specialties are relied on by the team, and the academy helps sharpen the execution of those abilities.

“I think forceful entry is probably the best skill I’m at,“ Poston explains. “It’s doors we can’t get in. We get up to a house that’s on fire and all the doors are locked, we got to bust the door open, and learn how to break it open and breaking it open easy, depending if we go to a big grocery store or something. It’s just a smoke alarm, but there’s no fire. We can do it without tearing up their equipment.”

When responding to a call, whether its residential, rural or commercial fire-fighters are known for their quick response and deployment. The whole unit moves as a single organism, with their equipment lined and ready to go, trucks within meters of where they stage, and a constant exchange of information elevates the skills learned in drill to effective, streamlined teamwork.

“Communicate with your guys. The biggest thing we got is a team. You all got to communicate. No matter if you like them, you don’t like them. Whatever it is when we’re there, we have a job to do,” Poston said.  “Make sure everybody knows what they’re supposed to do.”

Once a cadet graduates from the Fire Academy the next part of their journey is finding a station to call home. Outside of Tyler a cadet could choose Lindale, Whitehouse, Bullard, Flint-Gresham and Noonday. When spots in East Texas are limited cadets have the option to find positions in the Metroplex and wait for openings back home.

“I actually did the Tyler fire exam. I’m hoping to get with them, if not, go somewhere that can hire me just to further my career, get a couple years experience, and then try to move somewhere, back up close, over here, get back home,” Poston said. “If I have to go to metroplex, get my experience, and I’ll go to metroplex, get my experience, and if they open up back down here, then I’ll try again.”

Firefighting isn’t just about putting out flames—its about preparing for the unpredictable. At the Tyler Fire Academy, cadets are trained to handle a wide range of emergencies, from urban recues to hazardous material spills and wildland fires that stretch across acres. For Poston, these challenges aren’t just part of the job – they’re opportunities to grow, specialize and serve in more dynamic ways.

“I like wild land a lot. I want to do it. And I also want to do rescue cert, swift water rescue and maybe hazmat, and get as many certifications and learn more to build on my career.”

The path to becoming a firefighter is long and demanding, but Poston has his sights set on earning the shield – that leather plate on the front of his helmet that marks his rank, station and pride. Its more than a badge; it’s a symbol of protection, of belonging and of purpose. And for Poston, it’s a step toward serving his community while staying close to the people he loves most.

“Hopefully I have a good firefighting job at a place that I want to stay,” he said. “Build a career on and hang out with my family and be with them.”

As the days pass, and the weeks roll by Poston finds himself paying closer attention – not just to the drills and procedures, but to the mindset behind them. The academy has sharpened his awareness, turning everyday moments into opportunities to think critically about safety and risk. Where he once overlooked the small stuff, he now sees potential hazards and the chain reactions they can trigger.

“I’m probably a lot more safer,” Poston said. “Even just starting a little burn pile at my house. I look at it a lot different. On what can happen, what’s going on, watching it, reading it.”

If he could speak to his younger self, he’d offer one piece of advice: take safety seriously.

“I know I didn’t on the rig. I was just go.” Poston recalls.

Between the drills, the rumble of fire engines, and the pages of his training manuals, Poston has begun to uncover something more than technique – he’s discovering parts of himself that were always there, waiting to be called into service. Qualities like leadership, patience and mentorship have been tested and tempered, not just for his own growth, but for the good of those around him.

“I learned that I play a pretty important role to some other people,” Poston said. “I didn’t realize I was that big on actually teaching people and helping people out, and that they actually looked up to me as much as what I thought.”

After years of living on a rotating schedule – two weeks away, two weeks home – Poston now finds peace in the rhythm of everyday life. Its no longer about counting the days until he returns, but about being present for the ones that matter: the school pickups, the grocery runs, the laughter on the playground. His service to the community doesn’t pull him away from home – it anchors him to it. Each shift, each call, each moment spent helping others reflects back into his own life, strengthening the bond he shares with his family.

“Being here during the day, my wife and my daughter are just happy. I can be home every night and sleep in the same room and same bed as them. That makes me feel great.”

When the alarm sounds, Poston knows what it means – its time to move. The fire engine roars to life, rolling out of the station with precision and purpose. Whether its breaking through the front door of a burning home, securing a crash site on a busy highway, or containing a hazardous materials before they spread he and his team are trained to respond swiftly calmly and with unwavering focus.

“We’re here to help you all out,” Poston said. “So whatever y’all need, we’re here for you.”

For Ethan Poston, firefighting isn’t just a career — it’s a way home. It’s a chance to serve his community, mentor others and tuck his daughter in every night. Poston found his purpose where the heart is.