When Chris Parrish began working at the Pullman Fire Department as a reserve firefighter this past year, it marked a unique milestone for the department.

“This is the first time that anyone can remember two family members working on the line together,” said Chris’ father, Lt. Brian Parrish.

Brian started as a Pullman reserve firefighter in 2006 and was hired full-time in 2010. Now, he is proud to serve the city along with his 22-year-old son.

Brian said he is not putting any pressure on Chris. Instead, he is just excited to see where his son’s career takes him.

“This is his project now,” Brian said. “It’s not me pushing in any way, shape or form. I gave him the opportunity to try a couple things out, put some ideas in his head and now it’s kind of taken flight on it’s own and the world is his oyster. He can do whatever he wants from here and if he decides he doesn’t like it, no harm, no foul. He tried it.”

Chris said that while his father got him thinking about firefighting, what really motivated him to give it a try was his love of working outdoors.

In the summer of 2019, Chris said, he was looking for a job, and his father suggested he try wildland firefighting. So he got a job with the Department of Natural Resources in Clarkston and “absolutely loved that.”

“There’s no other job I’d rather be doing right now,” Chris said about firefighting.

When Chris expressed an interest in being a paramedic, Brian suggested he join the academy to become a Pullman reserve firefighter.

Now they work for the same department, though they are not usually in the same fire station together.

That’s OK, Brian said, because it allows his son to learn from the department’s other staff members.

“I kind of appreciate the fact that now he’s got to learn and interact with other people besides me so that he gets another taste of other leadership styles, other personalities, things like that,” Brian said.

Still, he is always there when Chris needs some advice.

“Even though we don’t work together all that often, if I have questions about any given subject or that kind of thing, I always can call him up and ask about it,” Chris said.

While Pullman’s firefighters may not have to deal with the same number of dangerous structure fires as bigger cities, the job is still inherently dangerous. Brian is confident his son can handle those risks when fighting fires.

“I know he understands it is a dangerous job,” Brian said. “You mitigate the risk the best you can and through training and other things, experience, you kind of learn what to watch out for and things like that.”

He said Chris is well-suited for the job because he is “very level-headed.”

“He looks at things very objectively,” Brian said. “So as long as he’s not forced into a bad position, I really don’t worry about the inherent risks that typically come with being a firefighter.”

Chris, who grew up in Pullman, said this type of career fits with what he likes to do.

“I really like helping people,” he said. “I enjoy the physical aspect of it. Fighting fire’s fun.”

His father said it has been fun to watch his son grow in his new career.

“I think this is going to be a great fit,” Brian said.

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