Fire Dept. Coffee Founder Luke Schneider Talks Coffee and Heroes on The Huckabee Show

Luke Schneider thought he’d achieved his dream when he completed his Navy service and landed a full-time job as a firefighter paramedic for the Rockford Fire Department.

But dreams change. They evolve. They grow.

Luke met Kate, a barista who shared his love for coffee. They fell in love, got married, started a family and, on the side, roasted coffee together.

Things took off from there because that coffee turned out to be really, really good. It started with what’s now a staple of the Fire Dept. Coffee line of roasts, the Original Medium Roast Coffee.

Luke founded Fire Dept. Coffee in 2016 and built it from the ground up, anchored by a mission to support first responders and veterans in their time of need.

Luke’s dream continues to grow as more people catch on — and Fire Dept. Coffee can make an even greater impact.

Recently, Luke found himself seated alongside Mike Huckabee and featured during the “Huck’s Hero” segment of the popular Huckabee Show on TBN.

‘They’ll Always Be a Part of Our Family’

Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor turned talk-show host, told Luke that he’s the son of a career firefighter. So he knows a thing or two about what coffee at the fire station used to be known for.

“My experience was that the coffee at the fire station was the strongest, toughest coffee,” Huckabee said. “You could turn the cup over and you’d have several minutes to worry before it poured out of the cup because it was so thick.”

Now that Fire Dept. Coffee is a force to be reckoned with in the coffee industry, Huckabee may have a newfound opinion of the type of coffee consumed in fire stations, including Fire Dept. Coffee's Backdraft Espresso and Bourbon Infused Coffee.

While Luke enjoyed speaking about the handcrafted coffee that the company roasts, the highlight of the interview was having the opportunity to share more about the incredible team at Fire Dept. Coffee and the support that they and coffee lovers nationwide have helped provide to ill or injured first responders and veterans.

“I couldn’t have planned it if I wanted to. It’s truly been a blessing with the right people at the right time,” Luke said. “We wanted to build a community with Fire Dept. Coffee and be able to give back and support those who serve, and build a community so we can provide that camaraderie through events and activations. Letting them know that we’re here for them, we care about them, and they’ll always be a part of our family.”

The entire Fire Dept. Coffee team is grateful to Mike Huckabee and The Huckabee Show for the opportunity to help share the story of the company, our delicious coffee roasts and, most importantly, the mission to support incredible men and women who have given so much to take care of their communities.