JASON PATTON WHERE THERE’S A LAUGH, THERE’S A WAY

By Leah Sobon

THE BEST-KEPT SECRET IN EMS ISN’T HOW WE KEEP OUR COFFEE WARM (WE DON’T) OR HOW WE’RE ABLE TO STOMACH THE GROSS CALLS (HONESTLY, WE DON'T) OR EVEN HOW WE SAVE EVERYONE (SADLY, WE ALSO DON'T). IT’S OUR UNCANNY ABILITY TO LAUGH AT THE MOST INAPPROPRIATE THINGS...

AND WE COME BY IT NATURALLY.

While it would be nice to suggest that laughter, much like an apple, is the not only the best medicine but can also keep the doctor away, first responders know the second part isn't always true. Jason Patton wasn't the first to figure out how valuable laughter is but he sure is the best. With a never-ending stream of relatable (and hilarious) content aimed at generating bust-a-gut laughter, it’s no wonder that Jason has become a household name for first responders. Whether it’s a remake of an actual call, educating the public, green screens on current TV shows, or comedy based around firehouse antics and (of course) coffee, the hard-working Patton is ready for the challenge. Even if it means getting dirty for the greater good.

Patton wasn’t always a 6’2”, 250-pound red-headed ball of comedic energy. He started off his career a lot like everyone else (though with maybe a bit more hair).

His superpower is his ability to read a room and generate laughter everywhere he can.

“I have always had a layer of humor in me. I had it as a kid going through school. I was the biggest kid in class, with big red fro-y hair. And I just liked to make people laugh. When I got into the fire service, I was the guy entertaining people at the kitchen table. From there, it quickly morphed into what it is now.”

Patton, who is also a mechanic, started working for a private EMS company in 2006. He ended up going to EMT school and ultimately fell in love with it.

“I FINISHED EMT SCHOOL ON A FRIDAY AND STARTED PARAMEDIC SCHOOL ON MONDAY,” SAID PATTON.

With fifteen years invested in both paramedicine and firefighting, Patton is running full steam ahead.

CRACKYL went straight for the jugular and asked Patton which profession he preferred, and to no one’s surprise, it truly is both.

“It’s hard to say because I love EMS for the raw thinking power that's required and the dynamic thought processes. And then I love fire for its animalistic dynamics. I get it from both and I'm blessed.”

If you’re wondering how he became one of the most popular and recognized faces in EMS, Patton would likely be the first to say he didn’t see coming - which is remarkable considering that he can now be seen on every social media platform and has views that stretch into the hundreds of millions.

If you rewind several years to his first video, filmed using a buddy’s GoPro camera you’ll see Patton, with (in his words), “a really shitty Australian accent”, hunting for the “paramedic” using their natural mating call –bitching. In just eight hours it got over 100,000 views. Clearly, Patton wasn’t the only one looking for a good laugh.

When asked if entrepreneurship was in his blood, Patton explained that his successes didn’t come from an entrepreneurial spirit, but rather from listening to his audience.

“I wouldn’t say I'm an entrepreneur, but if I see something I think I could improve on or add to, then I like going down that path. What I quickly found was that we all have the same sense of humor because we all run the same calls.

“I DON'T BELIEVE I’M SPECIAL. I BELIEVE THERE'S ONE OF ME IN EVERY DEPARTMENT ACROSS THE WORLD."

"What I’ve really found interesting is that the public likes the educational side of things. I have a sarcastic and humorous approach to educating viewers which can sometimes come off as disingenuous, but most people know that's just me trying to lighten it up.”

Patton’s Fire Department Chronicles has a subscribed YouTube audience of close to one million, almost 600,000 followers on Instagram, and millions upon millions of views on TikTok. Despite the pressures that come with being a first responder, he was happy about the slow climb to success with Fire Department Chronicles.

“I'm very glad it's been a slow progression. I didn’t get catapulted into any of this – it was slow steps leading to where I am, and I'm very happy because I think with a lot of this stuff, you have to be humble and grateful and thankful. I don’t take any of this for granted and I understand that the only reason I’ve been successful is that I’ve listened to people about what they like and don’t like. And I understand that all of this could go away tomorrow. That’s why I’m still a full-time firefighter.”

In addition to his work on the Fire Department Chronicles, being a fulltime firefighter and part owner of Fire Department Coffee, Patton is also a major advocate for first responder mental health. He always appreciates hearing firsthand from his followers just how much his honesty about his own mental health has meant to them.

“As I moved more into mental health – and talked about how I needed to reach out to someone – I had so many reactions from people saying 'Thank you. You legitimize people's thought processes. You legitimize people’s struggles.’ And I think that's what this is. You need people constantly. I’m not giving myself any credit here, but you need people that have a spotlight, and who also aren’t the typical person you think would talk about their feelings.

“I’M A COMEDIAN, 6’2”, 250 LBS, AND I’M A FIRST RESPONDER. I’M NOT THE TYPICAL PERSON THAT YOU THINK WOULD TALK.

"I get the honor to travel the US and speak about Mental Health and how I’ve dealt with my struggles. It’s called How to Hug 101 – I (comedically) talk about how crying is as normal as laughing which is as normal as being angry. These are all normal feelings and I think that's the biggest thing. I’ve had people say ‘Hey man, I wasn’t going to go in (for treatment) but then I heard you talk about your struggles.’ One individual wrote a few days back to let me know he was eight months sober.”

Patton doesn’t take his role lightly, despite his jibs and jabs at his profession. He knows how valuable his platforms have been for others, and feedback is something that continues to fuel his initiatives.

“I think it's teaching people to breathe. If you get into something and you don’t know what the hell is going on, you need to take a breath.” my phone down and watch TV then I sit down and watch TV.

"When I originally started doing the videos, I had a guy reach out to me on Snapchat. He said ‘Hey man, we just got back from a really bad call, bad MVC with casualties.’ He said that all the guys were sitting there trying to process what they’d just gone through. One of the guys got on his phone and saw one of my videos. They all watched it together and laughed. It kinda removed, not the sadness, but the staleness of the situation and brought them out of the dark for a second. It allowed them to have a free moment in their brains and then they were able to open up and talk about what they had gone through.”

Patton is also a husband and father, and balancing his home life and his work is a constant struggle that he isn't shy to talk about.

As he puts it, “Anyone who tells you to leave work at work and home at home is stupid. They just don’t know your brain doesn't work like that. I’m pretty good about disconnecting from work, assuming I'm satisfied with my shift.

“I’m turning forty this year and I don’t expect a kid who is twenty to do this – they can’t. I think it’s trying to find the best balance that you can, then giving yourself leeway. We are humans. From the day you were born you were taught it's either zero or 100, that's it. And as firefighters and paramedics, when you walk in the room you have to be 100 percent and that's not possible – it’s just not.

And he adds: “Yes, there is training and we have to show up on calls and be good – but I think the number one thing for anyone on a busy schedule is to have perspective and be a little lenient with yourself. You have to have an understanding that there will be days when you can go 110 percent and get everything you need to get done, then go to bed very satisfied. And then there are going to be days when you just can’t do it. You think, I’m tired, I only had four hours of sleep and my family needs me. That’s the basic understanding I’ve tried to have in my life and with my own emotions. There are some days when I’m going to be super happy and others when I’ll be struggling. It’s all normal, very normal.”

Keeping balanced in his chaotic schedule is something Patton works hard at – but he is the first to admit that it isn’t always a smooth ride. “Fitness is one thing: I love working out. And it doesn’t have to be me slamming weights on the ground. Just moving for twenty minutes is what I try to do. Or even sleeping in. Or if I want to sit on my ass and put

“Firefighters, men, and first responders in general don’t want to use the word ‘feelings’. But it’s the permission thing, I swear to God, it’s understanding. It can be three minutes. I can be doing a bunch of stuff and have people reaching out to me, and I get super overwhelmed. I’ll put my phone down, make a drink or sandwich, eat that, and by the time I get back to my phone again, I feel better and am ready to tackle things.”

Patton can vividly recall a four-month stretch where he spent the majority of his time working, traveling, and talking at conferences – which he is always thrilled to be a part of. But it was exhausting. That experience taught him just how important realistic self-expectation can be when it comes to personal bandwidth.

“I learned a lesson. But I think a lot of it has been trial and error. And my wife has been unbelievably amazing. I try to stop my days at 3:00 pm when we are going to pick up my daughter. But my wife has picked up the slack immensely for me. My department has also been unbelievably understanding of all of this.”

Jason Patton’s story is far from over. He recently announced that he’s working on putting together a new TV show highlighting EMS/ firefighting departments across the world – but not aimed at a first responder audience. This is being done for the general public, to bring them a slice of the world of first responders, to explain why first responders do what they do and go where they go. He has seen firsthand how much the general public has benefited from his content and can’t wait to see where this will go.

“TikTok is where I really saw the need. There were a bunch of young kids there and they wanted to know why you can't run through a four-