April’s Fire Dept. Coffee + Shirt Clubs: Supporting First Responders at Poudre Fire Authority

At the Poudre Fire Authority, the guiding principle is made clear to every man or woman donning a firefighter’s uniform:

Service Above Self.

Three simple words, not necessarily unique or different than what you’d expect to hear from any other fire department. What makes it special for Poudre Fire is the organization’s absolute commitment to living by the spirit of those three words.

Poudre Fire Authority has 229 full-time employees, in addition to a few dozen volunteers. Together, they are responsible for about 230 square miles of a beautiful, mountainous — sometimes treacherous — region surrounding Fort Collins, Colorado.

With the nearby Front Range mountains and the Poudre River flowing through, the area is a haven for outdoor adventurers. The presence of Colorado State University means more than 30,000 college students call Fort Collins home for much of the year, and Interstate 25 running through town means a steady flow of north-south traffic is always buzzing by.

For the Poudre Fire Authority, on any given day, they may be called to execute a highly technical rescue on a mountainside or the river. They may be responding to a fire in a dormitory or a multi-car accident on the interstate.

Regardless of what is asked of them, Poudre Fire has earned a reputation for excellence. In fact, the department has earned accreditation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), a rare feat among American fire departments.

They preach Service Above Self — and they practice it. They put the community first at all times. So it’s our honor to support the firefighters of Poudre Fire as April’s beneficiary of funds raised through the Fire Dept. Coffee Club and Fire Dept. Shirt Club.

For each purchase of the Fire Dept. Coffee Club, we will give $2 and for each purchase of the Fire Dept. Shirt Club, we will give back $5. The funds will go to support any Poudre firefighters in need.

“We’ve had some members or their families who have been experiencing severe illness, some that have been going on a long time,” Poudre Fire Chief Derek Bergsten said. “We’ve had some members with cancer. We’ve been able to help them through some of those hardships by providing food or transportation or other types of support.”

Poudre Fire is a truly special organization, so it’s our honor to serve all those who put Service Above Self.

How Poudre Fire is Part of the FDC Family

Chief Bergsten is no stranger to Fire Dept. Coffee. He had a front-row seat to watch FDC grow into the company it is today.

Before he was the chief at Poudre Fire, Bergsten was the chief at the Rockford Fire Department, here in our hometown. It’s his hometown, too.

Bergsten was born and raised in the Rockford area and spent nearly 3 decades with the Rockford Fire Department. In fact, he was the one to hire FDC founder Luke Schneider, who joined in 2008 shortly after leaving the Navy and nearly a decade before he launched his coffee company.

As Schneider eventually conceived and built Fire Dept. Coffee — running it for many years while still serving as a full-time firefighter paramedic — he always appreciated the support from his fellow firefighters, all the way up to the chief.

Bergsten always had Schneider’s back.

“I always encouraged Luke and appreciated the work he did for the community,” he said. “He set his sights on this, and it’s become a great thing.”

Meanwhile, Bergsten had never really set his sights on leaving Rockford. His life was here, and he was happy here. Yet life throws curveballs from time to time.

Always passionate about safety, Bergsten had served on the board of the Center for Public Safety Excellence, which also included the city manager of Fort Collins.

“I didn't have any intention of leaving Rockford but he talked me into it,” said Bergsten, who made the decision to join Poudre Fire three years ago. “The quality of the organization was the most important. Only about 320 departments in the world have gone through the accreditation process. Then just the personnel was incredible. … And the 300 days of sunshine here doesn’t hurt, either.”

So the connection between Fire Dept. Coffee and Poudre Fire is very real and very heartfelt. We have the greatest respect for the crew at Poudre Fire because we know their commitment to being a positive force in the community.

It’s evident in the ways they go above and beyond to serve. They launched Operation Warm and delivered 500 winter coats to those in need. They created a cookbook to raise money for Operation Warm as well as the Local 1945 foundation, which gives to firefighters and their families in times of hardship. They have any number of outreach programs to provide small but important services in the community, such as installing smoke alarms in homes throughout the area.

And on any given day, Poudre firefighters respond to calls while carrying cash from their “Compassion Fund.” If they run into a citizen in need, whether they’re homeless or hungry or in need of clothes or diapers, they’re empowered to spend that cash on the spot to help out that citizen. No questions asked.

That’s Service Above Self.

Celebrating the Rugged Rescues of Poudre Fire

The Poudre Fire Authority special roast for April is a bold coffee befitting the bold Colorado region and the brave firefighters who protect it. Made with a blend of premium coffee beans from Colombia and Mexico, you can expect a rush of delicious notes, including the sweet and savory tastes of toffee, milk chocolate and a hint of orange.

The design on the package depicts a firefighter ram — the mascot of Colorado State University — horns protruding from his fire helmet and axe in hand as he navigates the fast-flowing Poudre River en route to a rescue. It’s absolutely perfect.

The same design adorns the back of the shirt that members of the Fire Dept. Shirt Club will receive. The Poudre Fire Authority logo graces the front. 

Whether you’re drinking the coffee, wearing the shirt, or both (we recommend both), you can feel good about giving back to support such an amazing, selfless group of first responders. 

If you haven’t joined the Fire Dept. Coffee Club or the Fire Dept. Shirt Club, there’s no better time than right now.