Cool Kid Joe Montoya Finds New Path in Fighting Fire

HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 2, 2007 (KABC-TV) (KABC) -- Our Cool Kid is a young man who has found his calling and a way to turn his life around in a visit to a local fire station.

At Los Angeles Fire Department Station 27, Cool Kid Joe Montoya has joined the Explorer Program. He has found that the hands-on training feeds his need for knowledge.

"You never stop learning in this job; you always learn something new. Even the oldest guy here still learns some things every day. I love learning, so this is the perfect job for me: Learn, learn, learn," says Joe Montoya.

Raised by his hard-working single mom, Sandy, as his father sits in prison, Joe saw his young life headed in a bad direction. Then he saw the time for change.

"Do I really want to be on this path? Continue on and have the life that my dad has? I just realized it, and I just opened a new path and started going down that one," says Montoya.

At Station 27, Joe found men who set a great example. At the same time, he has shown them qualities they admire.

David Fabela, LAFD Engineer: "[We admire] his respect for authority and his personal pride in the way he carries himself."

Now he inspires other young people in his neighborhood. He also sees the new way his community looks at him.

"They trust me now, my friends, their family members. They trust me. They can call me and ask me for anything, so it feels really good when people look at you like that," says Montoya.

Working to make his life better now and pointed toward a future of saving lives, he is our Cool Kid, Joe Montoya.

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