Like many firefighters, Lt. Chris Kauffman wanted to be a firefighter since he was 5 or 6 years old. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, Vern Kauffman, who was one of the first volunteers with the Falcon Fire Department in 1975. The elder Kauffman also served as Falcon fire chief for six years. In addition, Kauffman has two uncles who were volunteer firefighters in another state. Kauffman has a total of 39 years as a firefighter, both volunteer and paid. Before becoming a paid firefighter, the lieutenant spent nine years as a volunteer with what is now the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District and 11 years as a volunteer with Falcon.He said what he likes most about being a firefighter is hanging out with his crew, which he referred to as a ìsecond family.î ìI enjoy my crew; they are a great bunch of people,î Kauffman said. He also likes the public service aspect of firefighting.Kauffman is married and has four children and seven grandchildren. He likes to spend his off duty hours with his family. ìFamily is No. 1,î he said.Safety tip:Stay connected with the Falcon Fire Protection DistrictWebsite: http://www.falconfirepd.orgFacebook: Falcon Fire DepartmentTwitter: @FalconFireDeptNextDoor.com
