Fire Dept. 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 first responders 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 eight 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 with the help of his wife and a handful of firefighting friends.

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 certified by the National Veteran-Owned Business Association, and we are grateful for the recognition and the opportunities that this important certification has provided. 

2. FDC is Run by Active and Retired Firefighters

His fellow firefighters loved the coffee that Luke and his wife roasted, so they were among the earliest customers. Many of them were eager to get involved and help the business grow, so they 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, hardworking 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 first responder, service member or veteran a 15% discount on every order until the end of time.

It’s easy to claim your discount. Just visit our website and confirm your first responder or veteran status. You’ll get a code that you can use 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 us safe. We are grateful for all that these heroes have done for our country and our communities, and we are honored that they choose Fire Dept. Coffee.

4. FDC is Focused on Building Community and Giving Back

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 ill or injured first responders.

We created the Fire Dept. Coffee 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 ill or injured first responders or the organizations that support them. 

When it comes to giving back, our company is really just the middle man. 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 is a Pioneer in the Spirit Infused Coffee Industry

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

We are proud pioneers of Spirit Infused Coffee. In fact, developing our signature infusion process — where we infuse delicious coffee beans with the best qualities of premium spirits — 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 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 a new spirit-infused roast 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.