Hottie Dads 2016: Nick Giese

By Giggle Magazine
Nick Giese

Nick Giese

Alachua County Firefighter/Paramedic
Dad to Jacob, 11, and Korinne, 9

What is the best part about being a dad?

Watching your kids learn something new โ€”ย and excel at it โ€” is always so rewarding. Asย a dad, I want to see them exceed at all theirย endeavors, even if that means showing meย up at fishing on our boat.

Do you have any special โ€œdadโ€ routines?

When I am not on shift at the fire station, Iย sing the kids a song before bed. Paul Simon,ย Plain White Tโ€™s and Owl City are some ofย their acapella favorites.

What part of parenting scares you the most?

Being a firefighter, you see how the statusย quo can change in the blink of an eye.ย Situations beyond my control, involvingย those I care about, scare me the most.

Which TV or movie dad are you most like?

I think Adam Braverman from โ€œParenthoodโ€ย is the most like me. Adam was the guy whoย wanted to be the best father, husband, sonย and brother that he could be. I think he wasย a good mix of cool yet structured in hisย approach to parenting.

Do you have a special meal you cook?

I am a jack-of-all-trades when it comes toย cooking. I do not have a specialty meal, butย some of the familyโ€™s favorites are BBQ inย the smoker, fish in the fryer and pizza onย the grill. I have learned different southernย techniques from the firehouse that I try toย incorporate in the mix, too.

Describe your parenting style in 3 words.

Let โ€˜em loose! Successful parenting isย finding a balance between pushing yourย kids toward independence and being aย dependable guiding force for them in theย background.

What is something you learned from your dad thatย you want to make sure you do?

I learned the importance of working hardย to get the job done right the first time andย persevering through the difficulties to seeย it through. I want my kids to understandย that hard work is necessary to accomplishย anything in life. Sitting back and waiting forย it to happen for you is not an option.

What is the one thing that you hope your child/ย children learn from you?

Take responsibility for the choices that youย make, whether they turn out to be the rightย choices or the wrong choices. No matterย what stage of life you are in, celebrate yourย triumphs and grow from your failures.

In the words of wife, Katie,ย “Nick is a true hero in every sense of the word. he has taught our children theย importance of service to our community through his actions and not just words. i love his honesty, his loyalty,ย his sense of humor, his devotion to his faith and his bravery. It is an incredible feeling to have a husband that isย able to teach our children that the world’s real heroes aren’t imaginary.”