By Abby Tonsing
The Herald-Times
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Growing up in a family of firefighters, Robert McWhorter Jr. remembers the Thanksgiving dinners and the family functions that were interrupted with the sound of an alarm.
Now, it’s his turn to join the others as they race out the door and into danger.
Monday afternoon, McWhorter was sworn in as a member of the Bloomington Fire Department, making him the third generation of his family to answer the call. His grandfather, father and uncles all work for the Perry-Clear Creek Fire Department.
Although 26-year-old McWhorter hopes to see “more runs and more action” with the city’s department, he said he learned valuable life lessons from the McWhorters at Perry-Clear Creek:
His grandfather, firefighter Joseph McWhorter Sr., taught him about having a work ethic. The senior McWhorter’s legacy is being the last firefighter to stop working at each call.
His father, Capt. Robert McWhorter Sr., taught him to always stay true to himself. And from his uncles, Capt. Joseph McWhorter Jr. and Capt. J.J. McWhorter, he learned to keep a sense of humor and have fun.
“It’s a pretty good feeling,” he said of becoming a third-generation firefighter. “It’s a great opportunity to raise a family.”
Also sworn in as probationary City of Bloomington firefighters Monday afternoon at City Hall were Jordan Canada, son of Lt. Jeff Canada of the Bloomington Police Department, and Kenny Hinkle, who received the department’s “top recruit” award.
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