kids can follow in their parents
footsteps when it comes to careers take
Florida Highway Patrol's Fred frog for
example here's a photo from 1995 showing
motor trooper fry with his son Zack and
fast-forward 23 years and here they are
now the fry men Zack has been a trooper
for four years with FHP and he just
became a motor trooper just like his dad
and this is now the first time in the
history of FHP that a father and son
have been motor troopers together so
joining us now
trooper Fred and Zak fry thank you guys
so much for joining us thank you for
having us all right so Tommy what's that
feeling as a dad seeing it come full
circle before you retire very soon
it's very emotional of us I was
extremely excited because it's a
position you had to apply for and it's
not something that's given to you so he
when he became the well he's still in
training per se so but it's it's very
honorable to see him follow my footsteps
for sure it's it's just overwhelming
emotions so I love it it's great
was there ever any question of what it
would become
no I knew from when I could you know
first write I wrote it down on you know
school papers and everything this is
this is what I wanted to do this is the
only thing I knew I'm watching him
growing up it's just something I've
always always wanted to do what is it
like now to be in uniform and oh it's
awesome it's just a real moment I just I
love it every single day I throw it on
and I know I get to go ride with my dad
so I can't get any better than that so
when you were a kid did you go to work
with him and how is it the work
relationship now you know it's a little
more strict than others who what's kind
of that that working I'm cautious over
him I try to train him with what I
experience on the road because being a
motorcyclist being a trooper auto
motorcycle itself is a handful and but
he's a really good rider he always has
been so but yeah I I on the side I talk
to him a lot okay yeah I saw you do so
many other dates probably one who then
tomorrow yeah I like that course he
rolls his eyes and okay dad so what I'm
hearing is that I rolling
this is the position you have to apply
for that it's not just given to you what
is that process like well um first of
all you had to have two years of
experience before you're able to apply
for the job and once you go through the
acceptance process of that you actually
have to try out for the position when
meeting you have to do some skills so
you're able to ride the motorcycle and
then if you do get selected you have a
world board you have to go through of
course your history has to be good and
you know he came on when he's 19 years
old so he's been a really good trooper
during that period of time so his
records showed that and then of course
then once you get accepted you got a
two-week 80-hour course of motorcycling
and then you have another four weeks of
field training that he has to pass so
it's not quite over yet for him but
you'll be alright
getting close yeah some other father-son
or parent-child duo's um I have we have
some that are on our department but none
of which work together in the same squad
so I have past room but I believe we are
the first father team does she have
motorcycles yeah it is pretty awesome so
what is absolutely the best part of
working together Oh
being with them every day just just you
know being out there and and then I can
for the period of time I'm here I can
watch over them a little bit but it's
just just so cool I see your son take
off a violator and you're like wow when
we said that 1995 is 23 years ago I
think I passed out how is it working
with dad oh it's awesome you know we we
go we have foamy ride together we love
it um just can't beat it's it's fun
being together we you know we rode our
bikes together we've wrote a TV together
now a ride and you know police
motorcycles together and just me much
better it's just an awesome feeling and
bridges a drain the brake is almost like
passing the baton because when is your
retirement day December 31st oh wow Wow
out the door and came fast
okay I'm not quite ready now and him
being a you know where he's at it really
even be even harder to leave I loved I
loved working I like you know being out
here decisions of Florida and he's gonna
do a great job for everybody he's he's
already you know getting towards that
goal of writing tickets he's not there
yet
he gets free to do that so but you know
yeah yeah unless he pulls you over that
would be so we'll need you to come back
on a wall please do please was great to
have you here and congratulations both
of you thank you