Mission Moment: Why We Serve
At FPPA, we like to keep our mission front and center. That’s why we regularly take a step back to ask a simple but powerful question: Why? Why do we do what we do? Why does this decision matter? Why is this the right thing to do? Building this intentional reflection into our processes and decision-making helps us stay connected to our mission and continue working in our Members’ best interests.
And that inspired us to ask a similar question in the 2025 Member Survey.
A bit of background: FPPA sends regular surveys to gauge Member satisfaction with our plans and processes. This survey—about 10 questions sent to a random sampling of active and retired Members—is instrumental in tracking progress toward our organizational goals and setting priorities for our teams. Each survey finishes with a fun or topical question to learn a bit more about our Members, their interests, and their personalities.
In our latest survey, we concluded with a question about our Members' Why; more specifically, why they chose to become a first responder. What we found in the results was heartwarming and deeply inspiring.
While not surprising, it was nice to see that service- and community-related responses scored highly. Being a retirement provider, we were also pleased that ‘retirement benefits’ cracked the top five. Here is a look at the most popular answers, broken down by profession:
| Top 5 Answers for Firefighters | Top 5 Answers for Police Officers |
|---|---|
| 1. Desire to help others | 1. Desire to serve my community |
| 2. Desire to serve my community | 2. Desire to help others |
| 3. Job stability | 3. Job stability |
| 4. Camaraderie and teamwork | 4. It was my dream career |
| 5. Retirement benefits | 5. Retirement benefits |
Finding FPPA’s Why
Reading our Members’ reasons for choosing their careers reminded us to revisit our own. So we asked our staff to share why they’re proud to serve Colorado’s first responders. Here are just a few of their responses:
As a member of the HR team at FPPA, I serve our staff so they can serve our first responders—those who are always ready to serve us and our families, day or night, no matter the circumstance. It’s a privilege to support the people who make it possible for our heroes to do the selfless work they do.
- Hannah Kent HR Generalist, 2 years at FPPA
I have the privilege of overseeing our Members’ information, ensuring the preservation of our Members’ stories and honoring their dedication. I feel truly blessed to protect the legacy of those who protect us.
-Vicki Willis Information Governance Manager, 15 years at FPPA
Working at FPPA for the past three years has shown me how essential it is to support those who protect our communities. First responders face immense risks, and helping secure their financial future is a way to honor their service. To our Members, it’s a privilege to work on your behalf.
- Bryce Murphy Investment Data Analyst, 3 years at FPPA