As a civilian firefighter at Fort Leonard Wood, Derrick Smith knows what it feels like to be a watchdog who responds to emergencies when the calls arrive.
And now he wants to bring that same "watchdog" philosophy to his son's school, by establishing a Watch D.O.G.S. - or "Dads of Great Students" - chapter at Belair Elementary.
Coordinated by the National Center for Fathering, the program is designed to increase the involvement of fathers - as well step-fathers, grandfathers and uncles - in the lives of school children. Volunteers who participate help with a variety of activities, typically assigned by the principal.
"It basically helps students' dads get more involved," Smith explained.
Some of the men will likely help monitor Belair's playground at recess; others might lend a hand in the lunchrooms. They'll also serve as mentors to students, helping with both educational and recreational activities, Smith said.
"By having another adult in the school hallways, it helps deter bullying," he said. "And, for kids who don't have a dad at home, it provides a male father-figure for kids who need that."
Smith said kids get a kick when they see their dads helping at school.
As a parent-helper at First Steps Preschool, Smith said his 5-year-old daughter, Cordelia, was always delighted to see him.
"She was so excited to see me come in," he said.
And he feels the same is true for his 6-year-old son, Gabriel, a first-grader at Belair.
A Watch D.O.G.S. chapter is already established at West Elementary School, but the Belair program is still in the launch stages. Already Smith and Matt Krause, Belair PTA president, have recruited about eight volunteers - their background checks have been completed - and have scheduled an orientation session for March.
Having the program up and running by the end of the school year is Smith's goal.
"That way, next year, we can focus on membership growth," Smith said.
(Men who are interested in participating can reach Smith at [email protected].)
When he's not helping out with his kids, Smith spends his time working as a firefighter at Fort Leonard Wood and serving as a member of the U.S. Army Reserves.
Although the department Smith serves with has mutual-aid agreements with the surrounding fire agencies in the county, Smith said the Fort is large enough to warrant its own fire service.
"It's like a small city unto itself. We do E.M.S. and fire calls," he explained. "Most of us are EMTs."
Smith decided in high school he wanted to pursue firefighting. A career-experience course allowed him to go to the local firehouse and learn those skills.
"It can be a hard profession to enter, so I joined the military to get that training," he added.
Fitting into a military culture was easy for Smith, since he was raised in one. His mother was in the U.S. Army; his father was in the U.S. Air Force. He was raised as an "Army brat," born in Germany and schooled in England. As a senior in high school, he lived briefly with his grandmother in the wilderness of northern Minnesota, a stone's throw away from the Canadian border.
He joined the U.S. Army at age 19 and served actively for six years, deploying to Iraq for part of that time.
"It was easy for me to integrate into that lifestyle ... it's been everything that me and my brother knew," he said.
Today he makes the hour-and-a-half commute to Fort Wood where he works 24-hour shifts. He and his wife, Sara, live in Jefferson City to be closer to her family.
His life is defined by his love for the military, firefighting and his family.
"The big thing for me is finding balance. I really enjoy spending quality time with my family ... that's the main thing I hold dear," he said.