In April 2000, Phil Brown fulfilled a lifelong dream to be a firefighter. His career started with the San Miguel Fire Department and, after graduating from the C ounty PCF Academy ranked second in his class and achieving all of the required certification in just one year, he was named Rookie of the Year. Over the years, he rose through the ranks to Captain, helping the Department that he loved to grow into the respected organization that it is today.

In November 2013, Phil sustained a neck injury during a structure fire training exercise. Seemingly, he recovered in a few weeks. However, in the following months, he started suffering from pain and numbness in his left arm. After multiple x-rays, MRIs and CT scans, Phil was diagnosed with spinal stenosis in his C4, C5, C6, and C7
vertebrae, and severe carpal tunnel syndrome in both of his hands. Because his carpal tunnel syndrome was so severe, it needed to be corrected before he could have his neck surgically repaired. The carpal tunnel surgeries were long, drawn-out, and painful experiences. In spite of this, Captain Brown continued to help the Department, working in non-physical roles.

After enduring surgery on his hands in October 2015 and December 2015, Phil was finally ready to have the surgery on his neck. In May of 2016, as he was preparing for the imminent neck surgery, his employment with the San Miguel Fire Department was inexplicably terminated. This left him with no Workers' Compensation coverage. With the surgery scheduled for June 29, and having lost more than 60% of the feeling in his left arm, he had no choice but to proceed with the costly neck surgery. Fortunately, his private insurance was willing to cover 80% of the cost, but Phil was still responsible for the remaining 20%. With these bills now looming, and credit cards getting maxed out, he is asking for help. Please join us in supporting this local hero who served our County for over sixteen years.