Webinar - Chaplains in the Fire Service: Not Just a Title but a Position

This presentation by Chaplain John F. Long, Jr. will outline what a fire service chaplain does and why a fire department should consider having a trained chaplain as part of their operational command structure. Trained chaplains do more than just give invocations and benedictions – they play an important role in providing behavioral health support to a department. Chaplains keep a thumb on the pulse of members and are often the first to recognize when someone is in need of help. They alleviate responsibilities that would otherwise fall to the chief, who may not have the capacity to identify signs of distress in their members. Chaplains are also the point person that spouses can reach out to when they have confidential concerns about their loved one. This webinar will describe the role the chaplain plays and how one can support your department – and help it thrive.

Chaplain John F. Long, Jr.

John F. Long, Jr. has been a firefighter since 1975. Starting his service with the United Fire Company of Montrose, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in 1978 and served as a Chief Electronics Technician until his retirement in 1998. John is certified as a Fire Officer III, and Fire Instructor III. He has held all of the Line Officers positions and is currently serving as the President of the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Company in Glen Burnie, MD. John started serving as a Fire Chaplain when he was elected to the position with the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association in 2002. In 2003 he was appointed as a Chaplain with the Maryland State Firemen's Association and was elected Chief Chaplain in 2005, a position he currently holds. He was appointed Chaplain with the Anne Arundel County Fire Department in 2006 and is currently serving as Chaplain One for the combination department. He has been a member of the Federation since 2005 and has since completed his Advanced Chaplaincy Certificate and serves as an Instructor. John served as a Deacon with the Lake Shore Baptist Church in Pasadena, MD, and was ordained for service as a Chaplain in 2004. He is married to Mary K. (Kathy) Long since 1979, and they have two boys Daniel (Alissa), and Adam, and two grandchildren.