Captain Josh Bradley has worked for Madison Fire & Rescue Department since 2003. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – Joshua ‘Josh’ Bradley has accepted the job of captain in Madison Fire & Rescue Department.

Bradley has worked as a Madison firefighter since 2003. Before then, he had worked as a mechanic at Rocket City Off-Road and other jobs.

Since 2006, Bradley has served in the Air National Guard at the 187th Fighter Wing. He was deployed to Kuwait in 2012 for six months.

Bradley was motivated to become a firefighter because he always has enjoyed helping people. Plus, he already was serving as a volunteer firefighter. “I thought it would be a good career path,” he said. “I do have an uncle that’s a captain at Central Volunteer Fire Department.”

“Madison Fire has recently started the process of moving our heavy rescue team to a SUSAR (State Urban Search & Rescue) team,” Bradley said. “We’ve also started a strategic planning process that, with the help of the community, will help us better serve the public and our employees.”

What factors would cause Bradley to have a good day at work? “Because everyone went home safe at the end of our shift,” he said.

He has lived in North Alabama his entire life, mostly Morgan County. Currently, he lives in Somerville.

For three years, he attended A.P. Brewer High School in Morgan County and transferred for his senior year and graduated from Ardmore High School. “I obtained an associate’s degree in emergency medical services from Calhoun Community College,” Bradley said.

He now is working on a bachelor’s degree in public safety and health administration at Athens State University.

His wife Miranda is a stay-at-home mom and also works as a part-time bookkeeper. Their daughters are Zoey, 8, in second grade; seven-year-old Abrey, who is in first grade; and five-year-old Aden. “My children are currently home-schooled by my wife,” Bradley said.

Bradley likes any outdoors hobbies. “My family enjoys going to the lake in our camper in the summertime and pulling the kids around the lake in our boat,” he said.