When he was seven, James Hurt chased ambulances and firetrucks around town on his customized bike he called ‘Fire Cat.’ Hurt, a first responder for 56 years, has lived tied to pagers, scanners and radios For the last 36 years, Hurt has worked as a firefighter, EMT and police officer. He became the only African-American coroner in the state of Missouri when he was elected in 2016.

“I want to give back to a community that has given me so much,” Hurt says. “If I wake up every day and help one person, I’m good with that. If I don’t, there’s something wrong.”