In 2007, Lt. Bryon Johnson of Sedgwick County Fire District #1 was killed in the line of duty. In an attempt to bring positive outcomes out of a traumatic event, his widow, Ariana, decided to speak about firefighter safety, situational awareness and complacency. Her presentations also include mentions of training and physical and mental health.
In 2019, she began a crusade to speak to as many fire service personnel as possible. It is her hope, that by sharing Bryon’s story and being open about his accident, that she helps members of the fire service go home to their family and continue to serve the community.
In 2021, she gave her presentation 25 times including the Kansas State Firefighters Association Conference and was the keynote speaker during the Kansas State Firefighters Memorial.
After a charity golf tournament was held to help raise money for travel expenses, Ariana and her husband Patrick founded The L35 Foundation. The foundation aims to raise money to help send firefighters to training that they may not be able to afford. Many training events can be very costly. Since many fire departments have limited training budgets, most firefighters have to pay for training opportunities out of their pocket.
It is the goal of the foundation to raise money to help these individuals attend training to better themselves and in turn, becoming better for the communities they serve.
The following photos show Lt. Johnson’s widow, Ariana Davis telling her story and teaching about fire safety.
thel35foundation.com 