Arlington rookie firefighter was one of the crew at age 11

Jonathan Miller was just 11 when he started hanging out after school at Station 3 in west Arlington, bringing treats and small gifts to the firefighters and volunteering to sweep and mop the firehouse floors.

By the time he was 16, Miller was even riding on calls with the crew, helping drag or roll up the fire hose, examining burned-out houses with investigators and observing exactly what it meant to be one of Arlington’s bravest.

“He was just a little, pudgy kid. He told us, ‘I want to be a fireman.’ And we didn’t discourage him,” said Arlington fire Lt. Curtis Dunn, one of Miller’s mentors for the past 11 years. “Even though he was a kid, he was like one of the guys.”

Miller made his first visit to an Arlington fire station when he was 2, the same age he was diagnosed with a heart condition later repaired through surgery.

Something apparently clicked because Miller, now a rookie at Station 14 in west Arlington, said he can’t remember a time when he didn’t want to be a firefighter.

“Every kid has a dream. I’m lucky I realized mine,” said Miller, now 22. “Coming to work every day is a blessing.”

Growing up

Miller said his family and the firefighters at Station 3 have been extremely supportive over the years, cheering him through his studies and indulging his passion for fire engine collectibles.

Before he could drive, Miller’s mom would sit and read in the car outside the fire station for hours so he could visit with the crew. During vacations, his family would take him to visit fire stations in Boston, Chicago and elsewhere.

Miller, who was home-schooled and went to Tarrant County College for paramedic training, was one of the top graduates in his class at the fire academy and was first offered a job with the Euless Fire Department.

But after a lot of thought and prayer, he turned it down to try to land a job in Arlington. “It was a risk. I knew I wouldn’t be as happy there as I would have here,” said Miller, who lives in Mansfield.

The crew at Station 3 said watching Miller grow up and make his dream come true has been fulfilling. A bookcase at the firehouse is filled with photos, stuffed animals, toy firetrucks and other gifts that Miller brought the crew over the years.

“It was like watching your own kid grow up,” Dunn said.

‘Nasty dirty’

Dunn and fellow firefighters Gary Hall and Guy Moore recalled how eager Miller was to learn about the job, whether working at an emergency scene, checking equipment or doing routine firehouse chores. And the crew members said they’ll never forget the first time they offered to let Miller go to a fire with them.

“You could see his eyes light up. After the first run, we couldn’t pry him off the truck,” Dunn said.

Although Miller doesn’t work at Station 3, the crew he grew up with has occasionally seen him on a fire or emergency call.

“It was so cool to walk up and see him just nasty dirty and know what he’d been doing. It was a proud moment,” Moore said. “He will be chief of some department someday.”

Miller seems a little embarrassed at times by all the praise from his fellow firefighters. Despite getting an early start on his career, Miller said, he deserves no more attention than other firefighters who are ready to go when people call 911.

“We all have the same ambitions and we all want to do a good job,” Miller said.

Every kid has a dream. I’m lucky I realized mine.” Jonathan Miller, firefighter at Arlington Station 14.

By SUSAN SCHROCK
sschrock@star-telegram.com