In Episode 392 of Mic’d In New Haven — The Best of The Bravest: Interviews with The FDNY’s Elite, Volume 82 — retired FDNY Lieutenant Anna-Schermerhorn Collins shares a moment from her early days as a probie that stayed with her throughout her career.
New to the firehouse in 1997, Collins picked up a tool she didn’t recognize — a long steel pipe tucked inside a compartment. Nervously asking what it was for, she found herself face-to-face with a gruff senior firefighter she’d been warned to avoid.
Instead of shutting her down, he paused… then said, “Wait — I’ll show you.”
What followed was a simple lesson in leverage and physics — and a much bigger lesson in leadership, humility, and mentorship. The man she feared became someone she respected deeply, treating her fairly and helping her learn the job the right way.
A reminder that in the fire service, the best teachers aren’t always the ones you expect.
Outro Song: The Offspring – Gone Away (1997)
FULL INTERVIEW HERE:
Mike Colón Media 
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