Daniel O'Connor

Retired FDNY firefighter with 22 years on the job, including 9/11 and its long aftermath. Started writing about first responder mental health after losing his third colleague to suicide in 2019. Now a certified peer support specialist and trauma-informed care trainer for fire departments across the Northeast. Writes about PTSD, the culture of silence in emergency services, and why "just talk to someone" is bad advice without systemic change. His pieces are raw, personal, and have been credited by multiple fire chiefs with changing how their departments approach psychological wellness. Lives in Staten Island, coaches youth hockey, and has a therapy dog named Lieutenant who outranks him at home.