FCFRD News Blog: A Tribute: Captain Kim Schoppa

Press release from the FCFRD News Blog:

April 28, 2022

Captain Kim Schoppa’s voice was the first female suppression officer I heard on the radio as a rookie firefighter. In a fire long since forgotten, Kim, then a Lieutenant, was clarifying where command wanted the bucket of Tower 424 to be placed. I was so excited to hear how assertive and confident she was in her management of her crew and apparatus.

Years later I was detailed to work for Kim, and she explained how if we had a fire and she found fire conditions on side Charlie, she would hold her arms up like a goal post to let me and the right bucket firefighter know that we needed to pull a second line and get it to the back of the house. She explained that this was because she was worried that if she yelled, she might not be heard or understood, and this was her solution. I made a mental note of this tactic for something I could use if I were ever in her position.

I watched with admiration as she took over a shift as a Captain and brought her crew together as a team, helping them train to develop their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. Then I saw her true strength as she fought through a year of chemotherapy after a devastating cancer diagnosis. We were shocked as we read the news that Kim was in hospice – but I saw the members of our department step up to help in any way possible. Kim continued to unite us even as cancer took over her body.

Captain Kim Schoppa is irreplaceable, unforgettable, and has an amazing legacy that will continue to inspire everyone who ever met her. My heart is broken reading the news that she passed away. As unfair as this terrible ending is, I can’t stop myself from thinking that Kim wouldn’t want us to just be sad. I believe that Kim would want us to be better: better friends, better family members, better firefighters. The coming weeks will be unbearably difficult as we strive to give Captain Schoppa and her family every honor they deserve, but when the dust settles, it’s my personal goal to “Be better for Kim.”

Note: this was composed by an FCFRD firefighter who wishes to remain anonymous

This press release was produced by the FCFRD News Blog. The views expressed here are the author’s own.