In 2001, Scott Aadson was a 19-year-old firefighter-in-training, completing fire school in preparation to join his hometown department, when he was stricken with a rare, aggressive form of cancer. He died Sept. 16, 2001, and was laid to rest with the full honors of a firefighter's funeral.
Up to that point, Troy, who is 15 months younger than his brother, hadn't given much thought to being a firefighter. All that changed, though.
``I guess I just decided to pick up where Scott left off,'' Troy Aadson said. ``I never really wanted to be a fireman growing up. I knew some of the firemen because I've been in Prattville my whole life. A few of them go to our church. But when I saw Scott in recruit school, I got interested in maybe being a fireman. I guess you could say it's the family business now.''
For his parents, Kevin and Pam Aadson, seeing Troy join the fire department was a proud moment.
``Scott touched a lot of people in his life. Troy putting on the uniform is kind of neat,'' Kevin Aadson said. ``I think it's just awesome he wanted to do that.
``Growing up, Troy was such a sports fanatic. He really didn't know what he wanted to do.''
Mayor Jim Byard calls the Aadson story ``poignant.'' Scott Aadson died early in Byard's first full term as mayor.
``That was a very rough time for our fire department, a rough time for our city family as a whole,'' he said. ``With Scott, you had a young man who was on the verge of realizing a lifelong dream to serve his community. I think it's very fitting that Troy should carry on that dream.''
Troy Aadson is a firefighter and basic emergency medical technician. He ``rides backward'' on Truck 14, the department's aerial platform truck. Riding backward is a phrase used to describe the firefighters who ride in the back seat of a fire engine. The back seats face backward.
So, after two months, what does the rookie fireman think of his career?
``I love it. I couldn't think of doing anything else,'' he said. ``You really get to know the guys in the department, especially the guys on your shift. You become like brothers. I feel Scott's still with me.''
Family is important to Troy Aadson, said Ezekial Smith, another rookie firefighter in the Prattville department. Smith and Aadson were roommates for the 10 weeks of recruit training at the Alabama Fire College in Tuscaloosa. Smith got immersed in country music while rooming with Troy.
``Troy plays guitar and loves country music,'' he said. ``I like all kinds of music, but we would go to sleep with CMT (Country Music Television), and we would wake up with CMT on.
``Troy's a great guy. You learn a lot about a person when you room with him for 10 weeks. Troy lives his Christian beliefs every day.''
