Firefighters use water to put out most fires. But some use coffee. Java, in this case, is used to put out a different kind of fire.
Fire Department Coffee, a veteran-owned company, has been putting America’s obsession with coffee to good use: Since 2016, it has devoted 10 percent of its profits to helping sick or injured firefighters. CEO Luke Schneider served as a firefighter in the Navy and later as a civilian in Illinois. Turns out cupid’s arrow was instrumental in the creation of the coffee business. “At the fire station, we drink a lot of coffee, and there’s always a pot brewing. I met my wife, who was a barista, and fell in love with the craft of coffee, and we started roasting it.” The original plan was to sell it at farmers markets and host tasting events. But when their “fire department blend” became a hit, the business took off.
Schneider eventually got together with Florida-based paramedic and firefighter Jason Patton, now the vice president and “face” of the company in promotional videos. Patton knew the importance of good coffee to America’s bravest. “Whenever we have hurricanes hit Florida, the fire stations take multiple shifts and put them all together, and there’s going to be 35 of us in one station together. You can imagine what that’s like. I said coffee was the only thing that was going to stop us from murdering each other.”
Nearly a decade later, Fire Department Coffee sells millions of pounds of its product, both online and in retail stores like Walmart. Along with the original fire department blend, the company offers flavored coffees, with Black Cherry Bourbon being the best seller.
The marketing centers on some hilarious videos which often feature Patton, whose “stay caffeinated” motto is delivered with over-the-top gusto. And with more than one million followers on Instagram, where he often posts about funny and shocking scenarios he’s encountered while on the job, his platform helps get the message out about both the product and the foundation. “I wanted to create a fun, comedic place for firefighters and paramedics to find stress relief through videos that they could relate to, so I created Fire Department Chronicles. Once Luke and I started working together, I took over the video creation for Fire Department Coffee’s Instagram and other social channels.”
In addition to providing financial assistance to firefighters who have been injured on the job or are dealing with serious health issues, the company has a specially outfitted fire truck that isn’t a working fire truck, but a rolling hospitality vehicle. Schneider said it travels around the country when disaster strikes. “We’ve built a Rosenbauer fire truck that’s called the Fire Department Coffee Rescue One Truck. We just recently responded out to California during the wildfires. We went to the Carolinas. We’re able to serve hot coffee, wash people’s clothes, give them shelter, let them charge their cell phones—things that are so far outside of what the original mission was—because we wanted to continue to help people.”
And it’s more than just physical support. It turns out that the bond shared among firefighters is critical to their emotional health. Schneider shared what he learned about the emotional aspect of the job from a California firefighter that the foundation assisted. He became paralyzed when a tree fell on him while fighting a wildfire. “Not only was he impacted from his injuries and all the physical impact and the financial impact from that. But he was a part of this family, this brotherhood and sisterhood in the fire department, that he felt like he lost and he was no longer a part of.”
Patton recalls visiting a firefighter who was paralyzed in a car accident. “We learned about his accident after he reached out to our friend, Firefighter Fenton. None of the firefighters that visited him were personal friends of his, but because we all work in the fire service, we immediately felt like family.” That connection brightened his day. “It’s obviously a tragic moment. But this guy was cracking jokes. He was just happy to have his brothers and sisters hanging out with them. The financial part is always great, but it’s an emotional connection that we get the chance to have with people.”
Firefighters face risks beyond the danger of walking into fires. They’re at a higher risk for developing cancer due to exposure to carcinogens. Their sleep patterns are disrupted, since they often work 24- to 48-hour shifts. And time away from family for days at a time adds to the stress. They miss birthdays and holidays since disasters don’t take a day off. Schneider and Patton’s firsthand knowledge of these sacrifices is key to the support the foundation offers.
Bottom line, while coffee is their product, the goal is giving back. Schneider said the company’s videos bring the message home. “They’re often humorous, but we also, at times, share about our mission and why that’s so important to what we do. Why is our coffee different or better? It’s because it’s high quality coffee. But we’re on a mission to support our fellow firefighters.”
This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
