02/18/2026
Today 4 years ago, on October 23, 2020, we lost a Firefighter, Scott McClain, due to cancer from the fire service and considered a line of duty death.
Unfortunately, 8 years prior to Scott passing from cancer, on November 14, 2012, he had a near miss incident at work, with Anchorage Fire Department, which sent him into a whirlwind of post traumatic stress and ultimately cost him his job, the job he had loved and started as a Junior Firefighter in 1992, with Chugiak Volunteer Fire Department. At the time it was unheard of to speak about these things, very few nationwide facilities were open to help first responders, no work comp cases in Alaska due to PTSD, and he was unable to find a counselor or mental health provider that could or knew how to help. A few of the providers he tried to see cried at the stories he told and he in turn was the one comforting them.
Scott got to the point where he was scared of everyone and everything, turning to other means of dulling the pain. He shied away from family and the few friends that would still talk to him. No one believed something like this could happen, we are in the fire service, we help people every day and if something happens to us we get up, brush it off and keep going. The things we heard from people about how he’s faking it, it can’t be that bad, he must not be cut out for this job and the SILENCE from his union, his employer, his “friends” and co-workers, were all deafening. His family had no one to turn too and was falling apart. After many hours and fights with the Municipality and State of Alaska, he was awarded a medical retirement in 2014.
In 2015, a small group of friends came together at a Fire Chief’s Conference in Juneau and started brain storming how we could help others. It wasn’t just Scott that was suffering, there were so many others and the lack of services was unbelievable! It was during this time that Alaska Firefighter Peer Support was born. There are so many more options and programs for our first responders and families nowadays then there were back then, but we still have many of our own that are suffering. We continue to provide resources on this page in hopes that those that need help with find it.
Scott suffered for many years before finding help at the Soldiers Heart Program through Southcentral Foundation. He was an amazing person and friend and was just starting to be able to live life again with his new wife, kids and grandkids when he was diagnosed with job related cancer.
To anyone who is suffering WE HEAR AND SEE YOU! Please use the resources we provide to get help.
In loving memory of Scott W. McClain and all the others we have lost way too soon!
