Daniel Sawyer is a lieutenant with the Greater Naples Fire Rescue District. Over the past 20 years his work as a firefighter and member of the technical rescue team has taken him all over Florida. Daniel is a fourth-generation Neapolitan, and our October Rad Dad.
Tell us about your family and what it was like growing up in Naples as a fourth-generation Neapolitan.
My wife, Jenna, and I have been married for 12 years and have three daughters who mean everything to us. My family has been in this area since the late 1800s. We started out in the Ten Thousand Islands, and we moved around through Marco Island, Goodland, and then into the Naples area. My family came here for fishing; we made our living in trades that had to do with the water. My great-grandfather, Preston Sawyer, has had books written about him. He was a fishing guide and well-known as The Caxambas Kid. (Caxambas was a Marco Island settlement.)
My dad, Kit Sawyer, opened Sawyer’s Outboard Service in 1990, where he and my mother still work full time. I began working there as a teenager and still work part-time there today.
Naples was a lot different during my childhood; there were a lot less people, and Southwest Florida was obviously much less developed. Growing up, I attended Naples Christian Academy from preschool through eighth grade, and I had a very small, tightknit community. Outside of school, I spent most of my time with my family; I was always outside fishing, hunting, four-wheeling, and camping.
How have you carried on that legacy in your immediate family?
My family and I are always outdoors, going on little adventures. That’s why we moved to the Estates; we wanted our girls to grow up the way I did. The girls are always eager to wear camo and go hunting, or get out and ride around in the Picayune State Forest looking for wildlife.
We also like to show the girls the different parts of Naples and share the history of our family in this area. We take them to different local islands, tell them our stories, and show them where the Sawyer family has lived. It’s really neat when we walk into a local restaurant and I can point out a picture of my great-grandfather on the wall.
As a family, we pursue self-sustainability; we have farm animals and grow our own food as much as possible. We enjoy working out in the yard, learning about what we can grow here, and eating tropical fruits that people don’t normally eat – food you can’t find in the grocery store. That’s how my family has always lived in this area, and that’s some of what we’re trying to teach our daughters.
Tell us about your work with the Greater Naples Fire Rescue District.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Daniel and his team conducted primary and secondary searches of structures along Naples beach. Photo Credit: Jenna Sawyer
I started my career with Golden Gate Fire Department in 2003. Since then, several local independent fire districts merged to become what is now the Greater Naples Fire Rescue District. I am currently a lieutenant in the operations section, as well as a member of the dive team and the Technical Rescue Team (TST). I joined both of those special operations teams early in my career, and they are a big part of who I am, and what I love about my job.
I love my role on the dive team. It is equally as important to me as the TST. It’s never pretty; it’s never fun, but the dive team is action-packed and carries so much responsibility. When someone is trapped underwater, you’re it, and you are usually down there alone and in total darkness.
What happens when your team gets deployed during natural disasters?
Our TST can be deployed anywhere in the state in response to disasters. We are trained and equipped to do [multiple types of] rescues. After a natural disaster, we work alongside many other urban search and rescue teams from all over Florida and other parts of the country to search for anyone who may be trapped or missing.
Deployments are voluntary, but we always have more volunteers than open seats. When we agree to deploy, we agree to a lot of unknowns. We don’t know how long we will be gone, we don’t know where we will sleep, and we don’t know what we will be asked to do once we get there. Once we get to the area of operation, the infrastructure may be damaged or destroyed, and communication back home will be limited. On past deployments, I’ve slept in nice hotels overlooking the ocean, in civic centers with hundreds of other responders, in the back of trucks, and on the floor in a jail. Sometimes, we find that we have no showers or bathrooms. We have created makeshift showers using fire trucks as walls and a fire hose for the water supply. We have built bathrooms with tarps and a bucket.
These challenges allow us (and force us) to get closer to the people with whom we serve and to see a deeper side of each other as we see the impact of what we are doing. Hurricane deployments are always emotionally charged. In many cases, we may be leaving our own families, who are also in the midst of a disaster, to help other people.
How did you decide to become a part of Greater Naples Fire Rescue Department?
It’s always been a calling for me from a young age. I loved fire trucks, and I always wanted to know what was going on. I have always been a thrill seeker, and I love to help people, so it seemed like it was the perfect job for me.
How would you encourage other parents who are also first responders in a role like yours?
Always put your family first. This job can and will change you. Don’t let it become your only focus, don’t let it define you, and don’t let it take its toll on you or mar your outlook on life. Seek help when you need it, and seek out things that bring about good in your life rather than destructive habits. Your family is always going to be there and help you through the tough times that this job will bring. Don’t ignore that kind of support system or take it for granted.
Do you have any stories that stand out from the past 20 years?
Over the years, we have had some significant brush fires out in the Estates that have impacted a lot of people. These are always action-packed, and I really enjoy the fast-paced nature of fighting brush fires. They are one of the big reasons why I joined the Golden Gate Fire Department in 2003.
One aspect of these fires that stands out is how the community rallies behind us. To see the amount of love and appreciation that the community pours out over us is motivating — from the piles of drink and food donations to the handmade signs lining the side of the road thanking us for doing our job. It is inspiring and stands out as one of my great memories during these fires. That’s why I do this work and pursue excellence and growth. That’s why I love Collier County so much.
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