On a Wednesday morning in 2011, just more than 15 years ago, Billy Espiritu lost his beloved Uncle John Dillard, or “UJ” as he was affectionately called by his nephew, nieces, and friends. UJ died inside his apartment in his wheelchair at the Eastowne Village Apartments, high on the hill behind what was then Knoxville Center Mall. The date was February 17, Billy’s sister’s birthday.
The Espiritu family and other family members were there, in the parking lot, hoping for the best as the Knoxville Fire Dept. (KFD) fought the flames in the three-story building with 30 units. In addition to the emotions of the morning, Billy, then 25, made the decision to become a firefighter then and there, closely watching it all. He submitted his application to the KFD the next day.
What could have prompted him to make such a life-changing, major decision during the fire experience after working construction for eight years? In fact, on the morning of the fire, he was driving to a work site in Sevier County when a family member called him about the fire. He turned around and joined the family.
“Standing there and watching…. seeing up close how the KFD responded and how hard they worked to help the victims, including my uncle. It was amazing to me how well they worked together and did their jobs. It was inspirational,” he recalls. “The chaplain talked with our family, and it was impressive how respectful they all were to us, how they genuinely cared. I had never thought about or dreamed of being a firefighter until that day. It was almost instantaneous.”…