San Diego, CA Chapter

The San Diego City Firefighters for Christ chapter started when Captain Ken Hannibal became a Christian just before 1980. Looking to start a group for followers of Jesus to meet in the department, Captain Hannibal contacted John White who came down and helped set up the first meeting. The meetings began in the union meeting hall and changed periodically over time from the Union Meeting Hall, to the relief association, to a Cocos, and currently a couple different locations. Over time as these groups met periodically, some of the firefighters started Promise Keepers and committed to meeting every week for six weeks with one another to pray. This developed into a regular reoccurring meeting with each division coming together once a go around for prayer and scripture reading.

Eventually the chapter started conducting a once a month breakfast meeting where a bible lesson was presented by Captain Ken Hannibal. These meetings would occur at Cocos and a department wide invitation would be sent out. Sometimes Captain Hannibal would have a guest speaker come in or have one of the regularly attending firefighters share a message. Today we continue the tradition of gathering together for breakfast meetings. These Chaplain’s breakfasts, as we call them, serve as a way to bring together the different divisions that meet once a go around on their own as well as provide an opportunity to invite others in the department. Moreover, retired followers of Jesus from SDFD continue to attend these breakfasts creating a collaboration of past and present firefighters. These breakfasts have been terrific opportunities to encourage, support, and bond with one another in Christ.

The chapter also participated in mission work. The first mission the group went on was with other firefighters from different chapters to Tijuana after El Nino destroyed a number of buildings in that area. They served in helping build walls to create water barriers and to help rebuild structures.

 A good number of members over the years have also participated in Mission Possible which involves hosting firefighters from FFC Chapters from various parts of the world such as Canada, England, Germany, Northern Ireland, Philippines and Sweden as well as being hosted by our fire brothers and sisters in Northern Ireland. The connections made with others from around FFC International ministry have been awesome.

Today the San Diego City FFC chapter continues the tradition of meeting once a go around within its respective divisions for prayer and scripture reading. Every other month a Chaplain’s Breakfast is held at Denny’s in 27’s district in a back conference room. While enjoying food together, firefighters hear from God’s words either by a department chaplain, someone from within the chapter itself, or a guest speaker. The ultimate goal is to encourage our firefighters serving Jesus to live their lives for Christ.

A quick snapshot of chapter community.