Ben Vernon, BA
Benjamin Vernon is a Firefighter/Paramedic for the San Diego Fire Rescue Department. He has proudly served the citizens of San Diego for over a decade. During his career, Ben Vernon has become a member of the Hazardous Materials and Technical Rescue Teams, and is an outstanding member of FEMA California Task Force Eight Urban Search and Rescue Team (CA-TF8). He holds five specialist positions on the team: Rescue Specialist, Hazardous Materials Specialist, Technical Search Specialist, Communications Specialist, and Medical Specialist.
Ben currently lives with his fiancé, Lisa, in the city of Temecula. In his downtime, he teaches Emergency Medical Technician courses at the Miramar Community College and in the San Diego Fire Rescue Academy. Ben enjoys working on his Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Certifications in Automotive Repair. He is also an avid scuba diver and rock climber.
On June 24, 2015, Ben’s life changed when he was stabbed while responding to a “routine medical assistance” call. The incident and the ensuing ordeal left Ben with a changed perspective. He shares his story so that others, who may be going through a similar situation, can know that what they are experiencing is not their fault and that they are not alone. He wants others to know the impact that this kind of event can have on a person, and how best to help someone who is going through crisis.
Ben continues to serve his community and is currently assigned to Station 14, in North Park, San Diego.
