Hi Brother and Sisters,
My name is Bernie Luefkens, I’m not sure how much you know about my struggles during the middle of my career. I’m never really to sure about how obvious things were, probably because I was oblivious! Anyway, I had some substance abuse problems with drugs and alcohol.
I had to get some help with it. The department was very supportive of this, and it helped me immensely.
I’ve been attending AA for over 21 years now and as a result my life is full and I have a lot to be grateful for. I’ve tried to be there for other Firefighters over the years and have met many that have also overcome the same struggle. Unfortunately, some have not been so lucky.
I’ve teamed up with some other First Responders and started a weekly meeting in my hometown of Courtice. We meet every Thursday from 10 -11:00 am in a church basement. The meeting is a typical AA format where we get a chance to talk about our struggles and how we overcame them. It is open to First Responders and a few other select professions. This is a strictly anonymous meeting and attendance is always confidential. As you can imagine, this is very important for our profession.
Also, sometimes people are afraid to go to AA because the God word is used. We don’t push God or any religion on anyone! We are just there to listen and help if we can.
We welcome active and retired Firefighters. If you know anyone who is having trouble, my phone number is on the flyer and they can call me directly.
In solidarity,
Bernie Leufkens