My name is Greg Wahlman and I became part of the Anchorage Fire Department family in 2007 and am currently a Firefighter/EMT at Station 4. Unlike many in the fire service, being a Firefighter was not always my “dream” or life-long pursuit. Rather, I almost “stumbled” upon it after a couple random yet very positive and encouraging encounters with a few “fire crews” at a local coffee shop.
Prior to joining AFD, I was an Operations Manager climbing my way through the “white collar” world managing approximately 200 employees. At the age of 31, I had hit a “fork in the road” and my passion for people and relationship trumped the “white collar” ladder climb. So, I followed the advice of the firefighters I met at the coffee shop and submitted an application to start climbing real ladders instead of the figurative ones.

I am very thankful for that decision…however, as wonderful an experience it has been, I have at times been surprised and caught off guard when granted access and exposure to the “ugly” things in life the badge affords those of us who swear the oath. It is for this reason that I recognize the importance of “peer support” for those struggling with the emotional challenges we may encounter in this profession. I strongly feel that at the end of the day, the most important things in life are the relationships we have with one another. This is the core principle to what separates us from all other living things and makes us human!

I will be the first to tell you that I certainly don’t have all the answers (or any answers for that matter) but I am a great listener and empathizer, so if you need someone to talk to, vent frustrations, or just hang and listen…reach out, I am all ears!