I’m an 18-year firefighter and current Fire Captain. In my profession, we don’t always do a great job talking about feelings. But I’m going to try.
I’ve known Eric Friedman since I was 12. He was a tall, lanky kid who got As when I didn’t and laughed at my dumb jokes. Nearly 40 years later, he still does both.
I responded to the 2009 Jesusita Fire and the 2018 Montecito mudslides. Montecito hit hard because it was close to home. I don’t speak about what I saw there, and I won’t.
Later, I attended the memorial at the Santa Barbara Courthouse. Eric was there, now a City Councilmember, surrounded by people I considered important.
And do you know what Eric did? He bragged about me. His old friend, still hurting from a catastrophe that devastated our community. He proudly introduced me as his friend, the firefighter. I didn’t think I’d done anything extraordinary. I was just doing my job. Eric saw something different. Without realizing it, Eric helped me begin to heal from what I had witnessed.
That’s who Eric is. He’s selfless. He remembers. He listens. In the moments that matter, he shows up.
I’m not writing to tell you how to vote. After almost 40 years, I know the man whose name is on that ballot. Titles come and go, but our core principles stand the test of time. Eric, the person, shows up for everyone.
