5 Things to Know About Fire Dept. Coffee

Fire Department Coffee is many things to many people — or at least that’s our goal.

First and foremost, we love roasting delicious coffee, experimenting to create new coffee roasts, and sharing them with coffee lovers everywhere. A big part of our mission is supporting firefighters and giving back to the community that has always welcomed us with open arms.

Of course, we also like to have fun and laugh as much as humanly possible. If you follow us on social media, then you know exactly what we’re talking about. With hilarious guys like Jason Patton and Firefighter Fenton hanging around, it’s tough to go too long without a laugh around here.

But if you want to know what Fire Dept. Coffee is all about, what we’re proud to be known for, then it all comes down to these 5 interesting facts …

1. FDC is Veteran Owned

Luke Schneider joined the Navy in 2004 because he saw it as a stepping stone to a career in the fire service. After all, in the U.S. Navy, every sailor is a firefighter. Yet Luke became part of the Navy’s dedicated firefighters known as Damage Controlman. He served for four years, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. When he left the Navy in 2008, he began his career as a firefighter-paramedic for the Rockford Fire Department in Illinois.

But his time in the Navy also instilled in him a love of good coffee and a deep appreciation for the role that a cup of caffeinated goodness can play for hardworking men and women working long shifts that require intense focus. So in 2016, he launched Fire Dept. Coffee.

Our military roots are never far from our minds, and we created our Shellback Espresso as a tribute to the sailors of the U.S. Navy, especially the “Shellbacks” who have crossed the equator aboard ship.

Fire Dept. Coffee is also a certified Veteran-Owned Business, and we are grateful for the recognition. 

2. FDC is Run by Active and Retired Firefighters

Luke's fellow firefighters loved the coffee that he roasted, so they were among the earliest customers. Many of them were eager to get involved and help the business grow, so some also became the earliest employees. 

Working part-time FDC shifts around their full-time firefighting gig was never easy, but the FDC crew always made it fun. Because they know great coffee and they know firefighter culture, it became a perfect fit and it helped us connect with firefighters, first responders and service members from coast to coast.

As Fire Dept. Coffee has grown, we’ve welcomed dedicated experts from a variety of fields onto our team. But our firefighters are always with us. They will always be the heart of Fire Dept. Coffee.

3. FDC Offers a Lifetime Discount for Service Members and First Responders

If you’ve served our country or you’re serving our communities, you’ve earned our respect for life. One way that Fire Dept. Coffee chooses to demonstrate that respect is by offering every firefighter, first responder, service member or veteran a 15% discount on every order until the end of time.

Claiming your discount is simple. Just visit our discount page to obtain your code, which you can use anytime to save 15% at checkout.

This discount is simply our way of showing our appreciation for the men and women who put their lives on the line to keep their country and communities safe.

4. FDC is Focused Community Driven and Mission Focused

Fire Dept. Coffee is not just a coffee company. We’re an entire community, and we are committed to looking out for each other — especially in difficult times. When FDC was founded, we always knew that our mission was bigger than roasting coffee, and since day one, we’ve been dedicated to supporting sick and injured firefighters.

We created the Fire Dept. Coffee Charitable Foundation as the charity arm of our company and a way in which we can responsibly direct a portion of Fire Dept. Coffee proceeds to benefit sick and injured firefighters and the organizations that support them. 

Our company is just the middleman when it comes to giving back. It’s our customers who are making a difference. Together, we’ve been able to contribute tens of thousands of dollars to help first responders during the most difficult times of their lives.

5. FDC's Proprietary Spirit Infused Coffee

When it comes to coffee, there is no place that Fire Dept. Coffee stands out more than in the realm of Spirit Infused Coffee.

Our proprietary Spirit Infused Coffee process began in 2016 by infusing delicious coffee beans with the best qualities of premium spirits. This became one of the cornerstone moments in the history of Fire Dept. Coffee.

Our signature Spirit Infused Coffee sets us apart from other coffee companies. Its unique infusion process has yet to be replicated, and it allows us to create a wide variety of non-alcoholic Spirit Infused Coffee roasts. Whether it's the rich flavor of bourbon or the smooth taste of rum, FDC's Spirit Infused Coffee is a true innovation in the coffee industry. 

We’ve even created a Spirit Infused Coffee Club as a way to treat our customers to new and exclusive roasts every month. 

If these five facts tell you anything, it’s that Fire Dept. Coffee is more than just a coffee company. We’re dedicated to bringing people together, to strengthening our community and celebrating the bonds that unite us.

If we happen to do these things over a cup of delicious coffee — or even half a dozen cups — then that’s just fine with us.

Mission accomplished.