Mandatory hold overs, so commonplace today in career fire departments across the country can certainly take its' toll on firefighters. The dreaded "MANDO VAN" comes rolling through town so often it became an ongoing joke for John Gary and his comrades. The MANDO culture is a big part of his American Fire Brigade social media platform that has become so widely popular. John has found his comedy through memes and video to be a big part of his therapy off the job. Several years ago John was seriously injured during a fire. While taking his time off to heal, he realized he wasn't the guy he once was; that the job was tearing him apart. This time off allowed for him to refocus on himself by finding the right tools he needed to cope with the stresses of the job. Putting focus back on his own health and his family, John's renewed focus lead him to the creation of the Brigade. Today, John is a smiling, consuming guy who's infectious smile and love for 1980-1990's movies has built a great social media page and following. His ability to capture the reality of the job while being able to poke fun at it has helped change the MANDO culture in his department. John believes that we must "protect our days off" in order to ensure we have the down time needed for the important things in life. His close to career ending injury gave him his life back in a way, and John is ok with that!!

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