DALLAS (KRLD) - With 24-hour shifts, you might say firefighters are coffee connoisseurs. A good cup of coffee after a long run or several runs keeps them going. Dallas firefighter and officer in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Paul Clarke was on a scene when he joked with a friend they should start their own coffee company. He was tired of bad coffee.
He didn't think much of it until he was deployed to Iraq and during his off time was able to create a name and learn how to roast coffee beans and start his own coffee company. Clarke launched Fire Grounds Coffee Company in 2018 with the intention of giving back to fellow first responders. For every 5 bags sold, Clarke gives one bag to first responders.
"Its the least I could do for the sacrifices that they make every day," Clarke said.
Fire Grounds Coffee also partnered with the Dallas Firefighter's Museum, which provides fire safety education to children across North Texas, to raise money to renovate the museum.
Clarke says his fellow firefighters have been nothing but supportive and says many of them never realized they were drinking bad coffee until they drank good coffee. Currently, Fire Grounds Coffee offers four roasts: Rescue Roast, Bubba Brew, Bury Up Black and Black the Blue, which is a doughnut -flavored medium roast that was created to honor the Dallas Police Department.
Along with creating premium coffee, Clarke is focused on investing in the community. We're proud to call Paul Clarke this week's KRLD Difference Maker.
If you know a Difference Maker who is doing great things in the community, email their story to susy.solis@entercom.com.