- March 23, 2026
Kameron, Kamille and Karsceal Turner. Courtesy photo
Kameron, Kamille and Karsceal Turner hand their book to a Daytona Beach firefighter. Courtesy photo
Kameron slides down the fire pole at Daytona Beach Fire Station 1 for a photo with Kamille and dad Karsceal Turner, as well as Daytona Beach firefighters. Courtesy photo
Daytona Beach firefighters read the Turners' book. Courtesy photo
Karsceal (center), Kameron and Kamille (top row) pose with their book and Daytona Beach firefighters. Courtesy photo
Kameron, Karsceal and Kamille Turner. Courtesy photo
Daytona Beach firefighters and the Turners — Karsceal, Kameron and Kamille. Courtesy photo
The cover of "Turner Tag Team's Terrific Tour of 7 Fire Stations in Daytona Beach." Courtesy photo
Who are the true communities heroes?
For Karsceal Turner, assistant basketball coach at Mainland High School, he's always believed the answer to be public servants — firefighters, police officers, doctors, teachers.
And he wanted to expose his children to the reason why. So, he started taking 7-year-old Kameron and 5-year-old Kamille on excursions to fire stations in Ormond Beach, Daytona and Holly Hill. Turner would post photos and experiences on his Facebook page, and after receiving a positive response, decided to compile them in the form of a book.
Together with his children, Turner recently co-authored a book: "Turner Tag Team's Terrific Tour of 7 Fire Stations in Daytona Beach." The book follows the trio's journey of learning about the fire stations, interact with firefighters and learn about the career, using real photos illustrated as cartoons in the story.
"We make so many trips to the fire stations," Turner said. "I mean, these guys see us coming, and depending on the shift, they remember us — there's those two kids and their dad again."
This is the first book Turner has written with his kids, and he said it will be the first of a series. Several years ago, he wrote an autobiography in the form of a poetry book, but this book was different. Because it involved his children, Turner said he wanted it to be perfect.
"I went through all the copywriting, illustration and what have you — proofreading everything that goes along with trying to produce a good product, and it made all the difference because my children's name is on this as well," Turner said. "They inspired me to write it."
When Turner was a kid, he wanted to be a firefighter, but life took him on a different course. He joined the U.S. Navy right out of high school and later studied broadcast journalism at Bethune-Cookman University hoping to become a meteorologist.
But while at B-CU, he wrote for the student newspaper and that evolved into career with the Daytona Times.
It was during his time as a student journalist that he met Joe Giddens, who is the Mainland High School basketball coach today. Back then, they were both students at B-CU, and Turner wrote a feature about him for a campus magazine. Turner later helped him with media relations for a team Giddens was coaching, and when he was hired at Mainland in 2017, he brought Turner with him.
So life looked a little different than he envisioned as a kid growing up in Oklahoma City who used to ride his bike to hang out at local fire stations.
"I just never really took the path to become a firefighter," Turner said. "So I more so became a firefighter enthusiast, if you will."
During their tours, the kids got to spray water from hoses and even slide down a real life fire pole at Daytona Beach Fire Station 1. You don't see fire poles very often these days, Turner said.
"Since I was a kid, I always wanted to slide down the pole and then when I became an adult, I did it," he said. "I mean, that's a bucket list type of thing."
Now, after visiting the fire stations, his son wants a career in fire service. At least so far. The Turners' next book will be about police officers, and that could change his mind.
"I'm just blessed where I can actually take them on such excursions," Turner said. "Let them see the other side and how those those heroes — the true heroes — how they live and how they serve the community."
Since publishing the book, the Turners have been able to read it to students at local schools, including Ormond Beach Elementary, where Kameron and Kamille attend. The book is available online and at the Ormond Beach Library. Most times Turner looks, the book has been checked out.
"It's a good response all around," Turner said. "I'm hoping that [the book] will inspire the next wave of firefighters and the real-life heroes."
Visit https://bit.ly/turnertagteam-book.
