THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Lies, Sex, Drugs, and the Glory
What happens when the dream you worked your entire life to achieve becomes the very thing you have to survive?
For more than twenty years, Kethon J. Colbert, Sr. wore the uniform of a firefighter and paramedic. Behind the badge, however, was a world filled with pressure, racism, trauma, temptation, relationships, mistakes, and experiences that followed him long after the emergency calls ended.
In this raw and revealing memoir, Kethon takes readers inside the fire service and into the parts of his life that are rarely discussed. From his childhood and early dreams to fire school, EMS, multiple fire departments, and the realities of life inside the station, he shares the highs and lows of a career dedicated to serving others.
He speaks openly about racism and discrimination as a Black firefighter, the culture of the firehouse, the emotional weight of responding to death and tragedy, anxiety, depression, PTSD, burnout, and the unhealthy coping mechanisms he used to escape the pressure. He also confronts his own mistakes, including infidelity, lies, damaged relationships, and the consequences of his choices.
But this story is not only about the fire department.
It is about identity, family, faith, accountability, and discovering who you are when the uniform finally comes off.
After twenty years in the fire service, Kethon faced the difficult decision to walk away and begin again. His journey from the firehouse to a new career in California became a journey toward healing, purpose, and peace.
The Fire Department: The Lies, Sex, Drugs, and the Glory is a candid testimony about what it means to serve, to struggle, to fall, and to find the courage to become whole again.
Because sometimes leaving the job is only the beginning of learning how to live.
