'Humble' Firefighter, EMT Carries On Family's Deep-Rooted Tradition

TOMS RIVER, NJ — New Jersey’s first responders work tirelessly to protect and serve their communities. That’s why Patch and T-Mobile have teamed up to spotlight EMTs, firefighters and police officers who go the extra mile.

This submission comes from Laura Dentroux who nominated Kevin B. Britton of Toms River.

If you know a hero who deserves recognition, we want to hear about them! Click here to nominate a first responder for a chance to be featured in our Heroes Who Serve series!

What is the hero’s name?

Kevin B. Britton

How do you know the first responder?

He is my brother.

Tell us about the first responder and how they serve the community.

Kevin, or KB, as we call him, is absolutely amazing. There are not enough words to describe the praise that this man deserves. He is so smart and so good at what he does. He has been volunteering since he was 15 years old.

My family has a very deep-rooted tradition in volunteering for our community, and my brother has taken this family trait incredibly seriously. At the age of 15, he joined the Pleasant Plains Volunteer Fire Department as a Fire Explorer, a program which our father ran. Once he did that, there was no turning back! He is now a 30-year member of PPFD and has a long-standing career as a fire inspector in Toms River Township, as well. Becoming a firefighter just wasn’t enough for him. He also became a very active member of the Pleasant Plains Volunteer First Aid squad, an organization our grandparents were charter members of.

His love of first aid bloomed so much he decided to become a full-on EMT and now, he works part-time as a paid EMT for Toms River Township, as well. This man has run into countless burning buildings, run the scene on many fire and accident scenes, spent countless hours volunteering to share his knowledge of all things fire safety — heck he had even delivered babies! The best part about him is he will never brag about any single thing he has accomplished. He is so humble and kind — and he really deserves to be acknowledged and know how grateful the community really is for people like him.

What three words best describe the first responder?

Humble, smart, empathetic

We’re fortunate in New Jersey to have first responders like Kevin B. Britton working tirelessly to keep us safe. If you know a local hero who deserves recognition, we want to hear about them! Click here to nominate a local hero to be featured on Patch.

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