KANSAS CITY, Mo. — First responders so often run into danger. A Kansas City father and daughter talked about what it’s like to sometimes meet on the job while serving their community.
In his thirty years with the Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department, Capt. Chad Dailey has gone to work helping in some of our nation’s toughest times, including in the aftermath of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
Dailey said he passes along what he has learned as he often helps other fire departments train, and keeps his family close.
“It’s hard getting everyone together at once,” he said.
That’s especially true considering his is a family of so many first responders, including his daughter Chloe Dailey.
“Growing up with my dad, you know, I was kind of in that environment. I had my dad and my grandpa and my aunt and my uncle,” she said.
Her family's history of service impacted her from a young age, even in the kitchen.
Chloe said she's made efforts to learn recipes her grandfather perfected at his firehouse while she was growing up, specifically "meatballs, biscuits and gravy."
But Chad Dailey admits he had mixed emotions when his daughter first said she wanted to follow in his first responder footsteps.
“Most firemen, including my dad, tried to talk me out of like a public service, but I knew because I grew up that way, I wasn’t gonna talk her out of it,” he said.
Chloe applied for two jobs with both KCFD and KCPD. She said the police department called first.
“I’m still a newbie,” she said.
She graduated from the academy last year.
“I’ve gotten a lot of experience in a small amount of time,” Chloe said.
Her father’s experience helps her every day, too.
“I think one of the biggest things that he has taught me is that you can have empathy for people. You can show emotion for people,” she said. “He’s taught me to do that but still, you know, be able to handle it and process that.”
"Without doing that, you will miss so many opportunities,” Chad Dailey said. “You don’t want to make judgments on people. You don’t know their life or where they’ve been. It’s easy to do, get hardened in this line of work.”
“You don’t have to be hard all the time,” Chloe said.
Chad Dailey also spends time training other departments in rescue through a nonprofit. His other family members also have jobs that serve the community. His wife is a nurse and Chloe’s sister is a teacher.
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