Ravens rookie, Jimmys Seafood teams up to give back to Baltimore City Fire Department
Ravens rookie linebacker Mike Green may be new to Baltimore, but the Virginia native and Marshall University product has quickly made an impact on both the team and community.
On Friday, Green teamed up with Jimmy's Famous Seafood to donate food to various firehouses throughout the city.
Green and John Minadakis, co-owner of Jimmy's, dropped off catered meals to Engine 5 on Eastern Avenue, Oldtown Station on Hillen Street, and Engine 33 on Montford Avenue.
Green says his brother is a firefighter, and giving back is the least he can do.
"We know the hard work and dedication they put into our communities, so we just wanted to give back and let them know we appreciate them," Green said.
"They are heroes," John Minadakis, co-owner of Jimmy's Famous Seafood, said. "These men and women put their lives on the line every day, and we want them to know we will always be here for them."
Green also signed footballs, gifting them to firefighters.
The rookie has 23 tackles and 1.5 sacks through the first 10 games of the season and is part of a defensive unit that hasn't given up more than 20 points in its last 5 games.
Baltimore City firefighter shortages
The Baltimore City Firefighters Union is currently experiencing a dramatic drop in morale amid ongoing staffing shortages.
Matthew Coster, the president of Baltimore Firefighters IAFF Local 734, says limited staffing has left personnel feeling burnt out as members work an "extreme amount of overtime."
"A lot of units were out of service," he said. That's definitely concerning for us. The industry standard is 40 hours a week, and we work 46.3 hours a week."
Coster worries things may get worse as holidays approach; however, 55 new firefighters and paramedics graduated from the fire academy on November 5, one of the city's largest classes in history.