JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – Two months after a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office patrolman was killed in the line of duty in a crash on Interstate 295, police and firefighters came together as brothers and sisters.
What looked like a typical night -- with food, beers, conversation and laughter -- at Lynch's Irish Pub in Jacksonville Beach was no typical gathering.
Everyone inside the pub Monday evening was either a member of JSO or the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
The monthly gatherings at Lynch's started last month to honor Officer Lance Whitaker, a 17-year veteran of JSO who was killed in a single-car crash May 15 while responding to another traffic crash on I-295.
“As we were sitting around -- myself and Steve Zona, the FOP (Fraternal Order of Police) president -- we said this is something we should do on a regular basis," said Randy Wyse, president of the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters.
So now, once a month, Jacksonville firefighters and police officers will hold private gatherings where they can blow off some steam, let loose and, most importantly, get to know each other.
“It makes our bond a lot better and it shows the people here in the community that we are one," said Alex Bergamo, second vice president of the Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police.
In this setting, officers and firefighters can be a little more laid back compared to when they are working an intense and often dangerous job.
“You know, there’s a different mentality and a mindset when you’re on a call -- more professional," Wyse said. "So this allows everybody to kind of relax, get to know each other personally.”
Wyse said the social gatherings actually help first responders understand, get to know one another and be there for each other in good times and in bad times.