SOUTH BOSTON -- The lives of Matthew and Martin Mullen depended on a flipped coin in Florian Hall.

The twin brothers were South Boston natives, baptized in Gate of Heaven Parish. They always wanted to be firefighters like their grandfather and great-grandfather before them. Many of their male relatives were firefighters or police officers. When they grew up, they moved across the country to California, where they played hockey and worked in the film and television industry.

Then, they came back to Boston for their sister's wedding. While celebrating in Florian Hall, Matthew told Martin that the Los Angeles Fire Department was hosting a test for aspiring firefighters the next morning. They decided to flip a coin on it. Tails, they would stay in Boston for as long as they had originally planned to. Heads, they would cut their trip short and go back to California to take the test. It was heads. So, the brothers flew to Los Angeles, took the test, and became firefighters. They remain in the LAFD to this day.

"A coin flip changed our life," Martin said on Feb. 28. "And if it didn't come up heads, we wouldn't be sitting here right now."

He and his brother were sitting in the gymnasium of South Boston Catholic Academy to accept $5,000 raised by students for victims of the wildfires that devastated Southern California in January. The students welcomed the Mullens with a handmade banner, drawings of fire trucks, and a performance by the school choir. Father Robert Casey, pastor of Gate of Heaven and St. Brigid parishes, led the student body in prayer -- and presented the Mullens with a copy of their baptismal record.

"This is overwhelming," Martin said after students and staff presented him with the donation. "This is very special to us. We can't thank you enough."

The Mullens were among the Los Angeles firefighters who battled the wildfires.

"The news didn't do it justice," Martin said. "We were all involved in those, most of us, and it's something that you've never seen in your life. It's a hurricane of fire ripping through communities, taking communities out."

He was touched to see the whole world come together to help Southern California in the fires' aftermath.

"It's overwhelming to even give a nickel to people you don't even know," he said.

He said that SBCA's generosity "shows what Southie and what Boston Strong is all about."

Martin and his brother have lived in California for 32 years, but to him, South Boston is still home (and he has the accent to prove it). He told the students that South Boston would always be their home, too.

"You're always going to go back to Southie," he said.

The Mullens were joined by several of their fellow Los Angeles firefighters, including Captain Alfred "Koozie" Kuzichev.

"These are two of my best friends in the world," he said of the Mullens.

The visit to SBCA was Kuzichev's first time in Boston.

"We all came to visit you guys and to say hello and thank you for all the generous donations," he said.

His mother-in-law's home was damaged by the fire, and her garage was completely destroyed.

"You guys are actually going to be able to help people like my family and all the other firefighters that lost their houses," he said.

The firefighters answered questions from students about their professions and gave advice. Kuzichev spoke to a student named Leo who said he wanted to be a hockey coach and police officer when he grew up.

"And guess what?" Kuzichev said. "I bet you he's going to be one one day."

As a firefighter, he's living his own childhood dream. He told the students to work hard, listen to their parents and teachers, study hard, and stay out of trouble so their dreams can come true, too.

"You guys are coming to a very, very special school," he said, "and maybe one day you'll all grow up, and maybe you'll be a firefighter or a police officer, a teacher, or somebody who's going to make a difference in this world."

Matthew is "the older twin" by four minutes, but since Martin is a chief, he's his older brother's boss. Matthew attended St. Augustine School in South Boston, where he met friends that he remains in touch with to this day. He told the students that some of their classmates will become friends who will be with them for the rest of their lives.

"Southie is the most special place in the world," he said.