Screw City Strong: Standing with Rockford Firefighters Through Every Call

Rockford, Illinois, is a city shaped by work — real work, hard work, the kind that leaves a mark. 

You see it in the factories, the river, the neighborhoods draped in the shade of iconic trees. And if you’re a firefighter, you feel it in the pace of the calls, the weight of the job, and the responsibility you carry into every shift.

The Rockford Fire Department runs hard. The calls have grown busier. The scenes have grown heavier. The impact on firefighters has grown right along with it. 

“We see horrible things every day,” said Lt. Jim Weerda, a 19-year veteran of the department. “And those things build up over time. They affect you.”

The department recognized long ago that its people needed support — real, structured support, the kind that could meet firefighters where they are and guide them toward what they need.

That’s how the Peer Support Program took shape.

A team of trained firefighters, ready to listen. Ready to recognize when someone needs a quiet conversation, when they need professional counseling, or when they need urgent help. Ready to support retirees and families, too, because stress can follow a firefighter home and stay a while.

This month, we’re honored to stand with Rockford firefighters and their families.

Through the Fire Department Coffee Club ($2 from every bag) and Fire Department Shirt Club ($5 from every shirt), a portion of each purchase or subscription supports the Rockford Fire Department Peer Support Program and the training that makes this work possible. 

Because no firefighter should carry that weight alone.

Screw City Strong

The story of Rockford is a story of identity — and resilience.

Many know it as the Forest City, a place shaped by its tree-lined streets, deep canopies, and quaint neighborhoods. It’s a quieter nickname, rooted in the natural landscape that still defines so much of the city.

But Rockford is also Screw City, a name born from decades of manufacturing strength. Screws. Fasteners. Machine tools. Precision parts that traveled farther than the people who made them. 

Rockford wasn’t just making parts — it was shaping industries. Ingersoll turned out massive machine tools. National Lock supplied screws and fasteners by the millions. Woodward became a global leader in control systems. Greenlee built the tools that built the country. It was work that demanded precision, pride, and a skilled hand.

“If you could ride in it, drive it, or fly it,” Weerda said, “odds are good that some part of it was made here.”

These two nicknames — Forest City and Screw City — might seem different, but they tell the same truth. Rockford is built on strong roots and stronger work. A city that’s grown, changed, adapted, and kept moving forward.

You can see that blend everywhere. Old brick factories reclaimed as lofts. Warehouses waiting for their next chapter. A downtown alive again after years of reinvention. The imprint of the past is everywhere, even as the city continues to grow.

And that same old-school, blue-collar grit runs straight through the fire department.

Rockford firefighters respond to an enormous range of calls. 

Medical emergencies. Fires. Crashes. Incidents that stay with you long after the shift ends. 

“It affects people differently,” Weerda said. “Some might be fine. Some might need help after one call. Some might need more. Whatever their situation is, it’s OK — and we want them to know it’s OK.”

That mindset is the heart of the Peer Support Program. It’s why firefighters are trained to listen first, speak clearly, and ask direct, compassionate questions. 

It’s why they learn to recognize when someone needs more than a conversation and how to guide them toward mental health professionals who understand the job. 

And it’s why critical incident stress debriefings — like the one held after the 2022 church fire that injured three firefighters — have become essential for the department’s well-being.

“Peer Support is here to help the people who help people,” Jim said. “That’s what matters.”

Forged in Rockford

The design that graces this month’s Coffee Club bag and its Shirt Club shirt is called Screw City Strong and features a firefighter rhinoceros.

The rhino is a powerful symbol for Rockford’s firefighters — determined, unshakable, built to charge forward, and unwavering in their commitment to protecting others. The screws bordering the shield and on the rhino’s horn honor the manufacturing strength that helped define Rockford for generations. It’s a perfect emblem for a community that stands strong together, no matter what comes their way.

It’s bold. It’s rugged. It feels like the city.

The exclusive roast for our December Fire Department Coffee Club is a handcrafted blend of Ugandan and Nicaraguan coffee beans. It offers rich notes of milk chocolate, orange, and clove in every cup brewed.

Our connection to this place runs deep. Fire Department Coffee was born in Rockford. We grew here. We learned here. We live here. And we’re proud to call it “home.”

People like Weerda and others within the department have been part of our story in big and small ways. But this collaboration isn’t about us.

It’s about the firefighters answering the calls.

It’s about the ones dealing with the aftermath.

It’s about the families who stand with them.

It’s about a department doing everything it can to take care of its own.

Your support this month goes directly to that mission — helping fund training, counseling connections, and critical resources for Rockford firefighters, retirees, and the people they love.

We’re proud to stand with Rockford Fire.

We’re proud to support Screw City.

And we’re grateful for everyone who makes this work possible.

We’re Screw City Strong — today and every day.