This is Kelly Stottlemeyer, a Paramedic-firefighter with Salisbury MD, Fire Department. First Responding runs in the family!
Be Brave
I love writing about the bravery we see daily. Firefighters train to do things that other people describe as brave, we think of it as our job. What grabs my heart is the everyday bravery we see, a mom dealing with a son who’s a heroin addict, a son caring for a father with dementia, and passerby’s stopping to help us with a brutal crash. These are all acts of courage. Find my writing on being brave in a frightening world.
Be Kind
I speak publically about kindness, PTSD and bravery. As every firefighter learns, for each time we need to be brave, there are one hundred opportunities to be kind. We are rarely remembered for our big trucks, sirens, and flashing lights. Most often we are remembered for our kindness. So it is in life, you will be remembered for your kindness.
Contact me about speaking to your group.
Fight Fires
One of my ongoing projects is interviewing firefighters on why they chose the vocation and what they’ve learned. I interview both career and volunteer firefighters. You'll hear stores about service, giving back, and "knowing in a flash I wanted to be a firefighter". Firefighters are inspiring, thoughtful, and wise!
Wildfires and Pets: Keeping Our Animals Safe this Season
Wildfires and Pets This article is about a crucial topic: Keeping your animals safe in this extraordinary wildfire season. I’m writing this on a beautiful and cool morning, and at the same time we are in extreme drought conditions. To the north of Santa Fe, the drought conditions are called “exceptional” which is high as […]
Steven Greene, Firefighter-EMT, Retired
This is the next in the series, “Firefighters: Who we are!” This is Steven Greene. Steven is a retired now, but he is still actively supporting the service with his podcast, “Five-Alarm Task Force!” Google it and check it out.