Brian Nee
Place of Birth: Boston.
Job Description: Firefighter/Lieutenant.
Why I chose this career? I chose this career for two reasons. First, my father was a firefighter, and I have many family members who are first responders. Growing up, I saw how much they enjoyed going to work and helping people. The main reason, though, was the Boston Fire Department’s Employee Assistance Program, one of the first firefighter employee assistance programs in the world, which started in 1984. My father was a Boston firefighter, and from the ages of 17 to 22, I struggled with addiction to opiates and alcohol. That program helped family members as well, and it helped me get into treatment. I have been in recovery ever since. They literally saved my life, and that experience became another reason why I wanted to become a firefighter.
Proudest Moment of My Career: The proudest moment of my career was becoming the person in charge of the Boston Fire Employee Assistance Program three years ago. It was a full-circle moment for me. This program saved my life, and now I am able to help other firefighters and their family members with mental health, addiction, and many other challenges.
Something people might be surprised to know about me.. is that I ran the Boston Marathon. I have also been in recovery for 28 years, which is something I am very proud of.
Biography: Brian Nee is a Boston Fire Department lieutenant and counselor assigned to the Employee Assistance Program. A Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor and Certified Employee Assistance Professional, he has supported firefighters and families facing behavioral health and addiction challenges for 20 years. Brian serves on several community boards and co-founded the Joseph “Dodo” Nee Foundation, which has given more than $400,000 back to the community. He has been in recovery for 28 years and lives in Dorchester with his wife, Kerry, and their two sons.
Brian is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor and Certified Employee Assistance Professional. He received his BA from UMass Boston. He is a trainer with the IAFF Peer Support Program and has assisted his peers in the aftermath of the Orlando nightclub shooting, the Lewiston, Maine, tragedy, Hurricane Harvey in Houston, and the Boston Marathon.
Brian travels around the country teaching other firefighters about behavioral health issues.
Brian has been in recovery for 28 years and has helped people get into treatment and recovery for many years. He has also helped firefighters and their family members with behavioral health issues for 20 years.
Brian currently resides in Dorchester with his wife, Kerry, and their sons, Connor and Aidan.
