VIDEO: Chief Tom Shannon, along with a group of Scottsdale firefighters and a few close friends, wanted to pay tribute to Austin Peck. "The camaraderie on this thing was fantastic, we spent a lot time busting each other's chops and a lot of emotion when we got to the top."
Chief Tom Shannon, along with a group of Scottsdale firefighters and a few close friends, wanted to pay tribute to Austin Peck.
Peck was a former crew member who lost his battle with occupational cancer. This journey to Mount Everest was emotional for those close to Austin, plus the mission is to continue being mindful of the threats, beyond flames that fire crews face. This trip was affectionately known as “Peck’s Trek”, honoring both Austin Peck and Phoenix Pub Manager, Dave Grefka who hosted Austin's wake at the Dubliner.
"Sadly, Dave Grefka was the bar manager there and he passed shortly after Austin did, so we were able to kind of make it a Dave Grefka/Austin Peck memorial trip," he added.