The dance floor was full at the Palace of Riverbend as Carson Locker and Savannah Hardiman attempted to capture the memories of a lifetime. Twinkling fairy lights and cell phone flashes cast a unique glow over Savannah’s sequined aqua gown, contrasting sharply with Carson’s light khaki sports coat and jeans. Despite the crowd, they were the only couple on the floor as John Legend’s “All of Me” caused time to stand still. Until …
The vibration of the pager on Carson’s belt told Savannah all she needed to know. The night was magical, but their time together at the Lincoln County High School prom was over. With a quick kiss and a knowing nod, Carson dashed through the double doors into the night.
Duty called.
Carson’s mother and grandmother also understood. When the tones dropped and the familiar long ring of their landline or pager sounded, their husbands answered a call that repeatedly interrupted the rhythms of their days and nights.
Today, like his father, Ken Locker, and grandfather, Jerry Locker, Carson answers when dispatchers send the alert of local emergencies.
“My family has always revolved around firefighting. I remember seeing the trucks going down the road with lights and sirens roaring and saying, ‘That’s going to be me one day,’” Carson recalled.
He wasn’t the only one sure of his future career.
“My grandfather used to always say, ‘He will be a firefighter one day.’ Turns out he was right. It was just something that I’ve loved ever since I can remember. I remember going to the Fayetteville Fire [Department] as a kid and jumping truck to truck, dreaming about the opportunity I have now.”

Firefighting is the Locker way of life, and Carson found himself drawn to his father’s and grandfather’s stories about the fires they responded to.
“I just thought it was the most interesting thing ever,” he said.
But these were more than stories and boyhood dreams; they were his role models and heroes. Today, Carson takes his father’s support and the lifetime of knowledge he’s shared with him into every fire and emergency.
“I always wanted to be like my grandfather and father. They were my biggest inspirations. I look up to them more than they will ever understand,” Carson shared.
Carson longed for the day he would finally suit up, step into the truck, and race to the scene. His father always met his pleadings to take him on calls with the same response: “When you get 18, you can come with me.”
Every young person anticipates turning 18. For most, high school graduation looms, along with choices about college and adulthood, but Carson planned his future much earlier.
“From the start of [my] freshman year, I set my goal to graduate early and start my career fast. As soon as I turned 18 at the end of October, I put in an application at Fayetteville Fire Rescue as well as Lincoln County Volunteer Fire Department,” Carson said. “I started volunteering two days after my birthday and got to ride with my father in the fire truck to my first fire the very next day. I started at Fayetteville Fire Rescue as a full-time firefighter in February of the next year, before I even walked the stage at graduation.”
The little boy who loved the sight of the fire engine racing in and out of traffic, sirens blaring, is now the young man inside.
“It’s completely different than just seeing the truck going down the road compared to being in it dressed in turnout gear and ready to go. There’s no greater feeling than being in that truck,” Carson said. “I work with some of the best people I could ever ask for. I‘d always heard your crew is your family, but you never understand that until you are with them.”

Because of his family’s commitment to firefighting, what he understands about his work is much older than his hands-on training and personal experience. He knows that fires are even more dangerous today due to the hazards of flammables inside, and things burn hotter and more quickly than decades ago. Thankfully, gear, tools, trucks, and training also continue to advance.
“But, as they always say, sometimes the old way works best,” Carson acknowledged.
Carson’s father said, “Things have changed a lot since we did it, but he’s adapting very well.”
Something that never changed is Carson’s fierce determination to follow in their footsteps as a career firefighter.
He said, “This career choice is everything and more than I could ever dream of. After hearing my grandfather and father’s stories, I knew I wanted to make memories like that and be able to pass them along as they did. It’s been so great to finally run out that door with my father and help someone on their worst day. It’s truly a blessing.”
Carson and his father can now swap stories as members of the same team.
Ken said, “I’m very proud of him for choosing the profession my father and I took. I hope he continues with it, as I know he will.”
“All in all, I chose the right career for me; I always knew this was for me,” Carson declared. “Ever since my grandfather’s passing, everything I do is for him, and I know he’s proud of everything I’m doing.”
Today, another call follows Carson’s return to the station after a dispatch — to his girlfriend, Savannah.
“She is always my first call after a fire. I know she worries whenever I’m on a call, so I do my best to calm her whenever it’s over. She’s been there for me in stressful times, worried times, and happy times. She has never left my side, and no matter what, she’s always so supportive.”
With the support of Savannah and his family, Carson suits up in turnout gear, knowing he’s not just following in his family’s footsteps; he’s answering a call that had been waiting for him all along. GN