Proud firefighter makes emotional call to tell son he got hired for daddy's job — but he barely gets through it

A touching moment between a firefighter father and his son has captured hearts across social media. The video, shared by @chiefmercer on Instagram, shows firefighter Frank Bresee calling his son to deliver news that would change his life. The post, captioned, "It’s not every day that you get to tell your son that he will be following in your footsteps and got hired doing the greatest job in the world," has gained over 368,000 views and 36,000 likes.

In the clip, Bresee calls his son from his office and asks what he’s doing. When his son replies that he’s working a shift, Bresee begins to speak but can barely get the words out before breaking down in tears. His colleague steps in and says, "Hey, Brennan, it’s Michael Baker from the fire department. How are you? I was just calling to see if you were still interested in being a firefighter." Brennan immediately replies, "Yes, sir, absolutely." Baker continues, "We would love to have you in the next class," while Bresee, visibly emotional, holds the phone on speaker. Baker laughs and adds, "I think your dad is happier than you are. So congratulations."

As Bresee broke down while hearing the news, it was the kind of overwhelming emotion that comes when years of service and sacrifice circle back through your own child. Research supports how deeply moments like this can affect parents. A 2025 study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that parents who experience feelings of pride and awe toward their children report greater life satisfaction, lower levels of negative emotion, and a stronger sense of purpose. The researchers explained that these emotions strengthen a parent’s sense of connection, not only to their child but to their own identity and legacy. The study also noted that such feelings often appear during milestones, when a parent witnesses their child accomplish something that reflects shared values or lifelong work.

The comment section was filled with support and love from viewers who were touched by the emotion behind the moment. @stacy.t wrote, "My firefighter husband felt the exact same way when my son was hired on. Love this!!" @arongolan added, "Good dad, you guys did well. If my son tells me he wants to be a cop, it will be one of the happiest days for me. God bless, and thank you for your service." @kevjdac84 shared insight into how meaningful the accomplishment truly is, "People don’t realize how hard it is to even become a firefighter. Then go work it. It’s not easy at all. The information is taken at an accelerated rate, and to learn it all and then apply it out in the field is difficult as hell. Good luck to this young man. He’ll do great."

@kzemtp70 chimed in, "Congratulations! When my daughter passed her EMT test on her way to following in my footsteps to be a Paramedic FF, I was/am so proud of her. I was more excited than her! Great Job, Dad, for raising him right!" @tasha_zimukusa penned, "Brotherhood love and the love of a father — yeah, that’s a powerful amount of love! Congrats to the rookie!!!"

You can follow @chiefmercer on Instagram for more firefighter content.

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