Lt. Steven Bates, 42, stood 6-feet tall and weighed 235 pounds. This18-year veteran was actively studying for the Captain’s exam. He was an avid golfer and an experienced marathoner and triathelete. He loved the camaraderie and ensemble teamwork of firefighting. Bates literally had no other family beyond his friends and fellow firefighters. They were his family. His two big dogs were his “babies.”