Firehouse Subs Hero Cups: Meet the People and Equipment That could Save Your Life
Battalion Chief Brady Rigdon, Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department
If you call a firefighter a hero, they will humbly respond that they’re just doing their job.
Brady Rigdon of Jacksonville, Fla., has been proudly doing that job for the past 25 years. A Battalion Chief for Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department and the son of a firefighter, he’s one of the faces featured on Firehouse Subs’ Hero Cups.
Firehouse Subs Hero Cups serve to celebrate the men and women who keep our communities safe as well as showcase different types of life-saving equipment donated to first responders through Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by the same two brothers and former firefighters who started Firehouse Subs.
Firehouse Subs guests are able to donate to the Foundation by making a $2 donation at the restaurant to take home an empty 5-gallon pickle bucket, dropping spare change in the canister at the register, or Rounding Up their purchase to the nearest dollar.
Thanks to these donations, the Foundation has been able to award more than $18 million in life-saving equipment and resources to fire departments, law enforcement and public safety organizations in 45 states and Puerto Rico — items these departments would otherwise not be able to afford.
Since being featured on the Hero Cups, Rigdon has received quite a few emails from friends as well as a few funny encounters in Firehouse Subs restaurants.
“One of my favorite stories is when I went into the Firehouse Subs restaurant in Oakleaf with my wife,” explains Rigdon. “I went into the restroom, and when I came back out, one of the crew members behind the counter was comparing me to the cup that had my image on it. He asked if it was me, and I said yes. I signed the cup for them.”
Another favorite story is when his daughter’s friend, who lives in Alabama, texted a photo to Rigdon’s daughter saying “Tell your dad thanks for having dinner with me tonight all the way in Alabama!”
On Rigdon’s Hero Cup, he is holding a thermal imaging camera worth $10,000. These cameras have infrared vision that let firefighters detect hot spots as well as see body heat through smoke, walls and darkness, helping rescue efforts become more successful.
Picture this: A frightened child may hide under their bed during a house fire. A thermal imaging camera helps firefighters locate the child through heavy smoke and bring them to safety.
With more than two decades of fire service under his belt and also serving as Foundation Procurement Specialist for Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, Rigdon knows all too well the dire needs departments face for life-saving equipment, gear and resources.
“One time, Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation was giving a department new bunker gear, a necessity for every fire department,” Rigdon explains. “I was on the phone with the guy from the department that was receiving the donation, and the guy kept asking me if the donation of the bunker gear was actually real. I kept having to convince him it was because he couldn’t believe it. Once he realized it was real, he cried on the phone. The Foundation makes a giant difference and impact nationwide.”
See the full line of Hero Cups by visiting any Firehouse Subs restaurant.
Stay tuned for the next Firehouse Subs Hero Cup feature: K9s for Warriors.
