TEXT
TEXT US
TEXT US TO SHARE YOUR STORIES. WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT IS
GOING ON IN YOUR WORLD.
>>> WE WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT
ANOTHER AMAZING STORY COME OUT
OF THE 5 HIVE AGO THIS WAS SENT
TO US FROM ANOTHER BRITNEY
ABOUT A RETIRED AIR FORCE TECH
SHOWING US IT IS NEVER TOO LATE
TO GO AFTER YOUR DREAMS.
OUR PRODUCER RECENTLY MET WITH
BATMAN, DAN -- WITH BATMAN, DAN
, TO SHOW US HOW HE IS
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES.
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES. >> GROWING UP MY GOAL WAS TO BE
A FIREFIGHTER.
A FIREFIGHTER. ALL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL THAT
WAS MY GOAL.
A COUPLE YEARS WENT BY AND 9/11
HAPPENED, THAT TOOK ME IN A
DIFFERENT PATH. I WENT DOWN TO
THE AIR FORCE INTENDING TO GO
IN AS AIR FORCE FIREFIGHTING,
THEY DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING
AVAILABLE, SO I WENT TO -- IN
2011 I WAS INJURED IN
AFGHANISTAN WHEN I STEPPED ON A
IED.
IED.
IED. I
IED. I DID NOT KNOW HOW BAD MY
INJURIES WERE, AFTER I FELL ON
THE GROUND I WAS STUCK IN A
DUST CLOUD.
DUST CLOUD. I WOKE UP AND I LOOKED DOWN AND
I SAW MY LEGS GONE BUT I AM
ALIVE AND I'M GOING HOME.
IT TOOK TWO YEARS TO WALK AND
GET BACK TO A NORMAL WAY OF
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. DURING THIS TIME I DECIDED TO
TRY SOMETHING.
TRY SOMETHING. MY WIFE SAID I THINK IT IS TIME
FOR YOU TO GO AFTER
FIREFIGHTING.
FIREFIGHTING. WHEN I CAME IN I TALKED TO THE
GUYS DOWN HERE THEY WERE ALL ON
BOARD.
BOARD.
BOARD. THEY TOOK ME RIGHT IN.
THEY SAID COME ON IN, LET'S
TALK AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN
DO.
DO.
DO. >>
DO. >> DAN WALKED INTO MY OFFICE
AND HE TOLD ME HIS STORY AND I
WAS INCREDIBLY HUMBLE.
THIS IS A MAN WHO LITERALLY
GAVE A LIMB FOR HIS COMMUNITY
AND COUNTRY.
AND COUNTRY. HE WANTS TO GIVE MORE.
>> I STARTED OUT AS A VOLUNTEER
, I DID A COUPLE OF TRAINING
THINGS WITH THEM TO LEARN HOW
TO USE THE PUMPS AND THOSE
THINGS.
THINGS.
THINGS. I
THINGS. I WAS GOING TO GO TO THE
ACADEMY FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND AN
OPPORTUNITY CAME UP AND I SAID
I'M READY.
I'M READY. >> WE HAD A CANDID DISCUSSION
ABOUT THE LIMITATIONS HE HAD.
IF YOU ARE TRAPPED IN A BURNING
HOUSE, IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO
IS COMING TO RESCUE YOU, YOU
HAVE TO DO THE JOB.
>> SO FAR EVERYTHING THAT HAS
BEEN PUT IN FRONT OF ME I HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO DO.
I FOUND A WAY TO DO IT LIKE
EVERYONE ELSE OR SLIGHTLY
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. >> HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE
INSURMOUNTABLE.
INSURMOUNTABLE. I THINK THAT IS WHAT INSPIRES
ALL OF US.
WE ARE ONE OF THE MOST
STRENUOUS PROFESSIONS IN THE
WORLD AND HERE IS A PERSON WITH
CHALLENGES THAT IS NOT ACCEPTING
THOSE AS BARRIERS.
>> IF ALL GOES WELL GRADUATION
IS NOVEMBER 17.
I WILL COME BACK TO CENTRAL
KITS UP AND I WILL WORK ON MY
QUALIFICATION TRAINING.
QUALIFICATION TRAINING. TO START AT THIS AGE AT 37 AND
TO REALIZE THE DREAM I HAD FROM
WHEN I WAS 13, 14 AND ACTUALLY
MAKING IT HAPPEN, IT IS AMAZING.
>> I LOVE THAT STORY.
>>THAT WAS AWESOME.
>>YOU FOUND THAT THROUGH THE 5
HIVE?
HIVE?
HIVE? >>
HIVE? >> WE DID .
>> REBECCA IS HERE.
WHAT IS NEXT?
>>WHEN I FIRST MET HIM, I HAD
SEEN PICTURES OF HIM GOING OUT
TO MEET HIM, I HAD TO DO A
DOUBLE TAKE BECAUSE HE WAS
WEARING LONG PANTS AND SHOES
AND I THOUGHT IS THIS THE RIGHT
GUY? HE WAS WALKING NORMALLY.
I HAD NO IDEA THAT HE WAS
WEARING A PROSTHETIC LEG.
THAT JUST IS A TESTAMENT TO HOW
HARD HE WORKED IN PHYSICAL
THERAPY TO GET TO WHERE HE IS
AT.
AT.
AT. WHAT
AT. WHAT IS NEXT?
HE IS ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH HIS
TRAINING, THIS IS TO BE A
VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER.
VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER. IF ALL GOES WELL HE WILL
GRADUATE NOVEMBER 17.
THAT IS WITH A NATIONALLY
RECOGNIZED CERTIFICATION THAT
SHOWS OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENTS
THAT HE KNOWS HIS STUFF AND HE
CAN PHYSICALLY DO THE JOB.
THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
HIS MENTORS TOLD ME OVER AND
OVER, AS MUCH AS THEY ARE
ROOTING FOR HIM THEY WANT HIM
TO SUCCEED, BUT HE HAS TO DO
THE JOB PHYSICALLY.
HE HAS TO.
IF HE IS PASSED WITH GOING INTO
A BURNING BUILDING AND SAVING
SOMEONE HE HAS TO DO IT.
FOR HIS SAFETY AND FOR OTHERS.
>>THERE IS ALL CONFIDENCE THAT
HE CAN DO IT.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. HE SAYS HE IS NOT SURE WHAT IS
NEXT.
NEXT.
NEXT. I
NEXT. I ASKED IS THIS SOMETHING YOU
WANT TO DO PROFESSIONALLY AND
HE SAID I'M TAKING THIS ONE
STEP AT A TIME.
IN FEBRUARY THERE IS A EMT
CLASS THAT HE WANTS TO TRY AND
AFTER THAT WHO KNOWS HE MIGHT
SEE IF HE CAN MAKE A CAREER OUT
OF THIS.
OF THIS.
OF THIS. >> NOVEMBER IS THE DATE.
>> NOVEMBER 17.