DETROIT — A second generation firefighter is honoring his father after becoming part of the Detroit Fire Department’s arson squad.
WXYZ reported that for the first part of James Hill Harris’ career, he fought fires along side his father, Walter Harris. When his father was killed while battling an arson fire, James began to question his life.
“We went to all these fires. The city is burning down, but why is it burning down?” said Harris. “When my dad passed away, I had to find the answers. I had to get involved with finding the people responsible.”
James made it a goal to become part of the Detroit Fire Department’s arson squad.
On Monday, he reached that goal after graduating from the Detroit Police Academy, which is required to be a Detroit fire arson investigator.
“Firefighters go out there and protect citizens,” James said. “Someone has to protect the firefighters. We in arson consider ourselves the guys to go out and protect firefighters from people who are setting fires, hurting firefighters, even killing them.”