Story Behind the Book

This book began with a simple request: a battalion chief asked me to deliver a fifteen-minute presentation on PTSD. It felt like an impossible task to compress such a profound and complex topic into just a few minutes.

Later that week, I stopped by Station 10 for a cup of coffee and mentioned the request to the crew. Curious, I asked, "What would you want to know?"

The captain’s response caught me off guard. "I don’t really know what you do," he admitted. Then he asked about a specific call from two months earlier—a heartbreaking incident where a teenager had taken their own life. He wanted to know what happened after the crew left the scene.

As we talked, the other firefighters in the day room stopped what they were doing and joined us at the table. Each one began to ask questions regarding different calls I we were on and wanted information about the conversations I had with the family, the resources made available to them, and the steps we took to ensure ongoing support. As I spoke, I noticed a change in their demeanor. They began to lean back in their chairs, occasionally nodding, and seemed to relax.

It was clear that many of these calls, even months later, still weighed heavily on their hearts. What struck me most was the unspoken burden they carried—the feeling that they had abandoned the victims and their families once their part of the job was done.

That day, I saw just how much closure they found in hearing what happened afterward. Knowing that the families they left behind were cared for, that someone had stepped in to provide comfort and support, it gave them a sense of peace. It reminded them that their efforts mattered, even when they couldn’t see the outcome.

This book was born out of those conversations and others like it. I wanted to bridge the gap between first responders and the families they serve, shedding light on the unseen work of the chaplain and offering reassurance that no one is left behind.