Organization: FIREFIGHTERS SUPPORT FOUNDATION INC
Mission: TO ASSIST FIREFIGHTER AND RESCUE PERSONNEL PERFORM THEIR JOBS EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY, AID UNDERFUNDED AGENCIES, ASSIST FAMILIES OF FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS IN THEIR GREATEST TIME OF NEED AND TO HELP PREVENT FIRES AND FIRE INJURIES THROUGH PUBLIC AWARENESS. WE ACCOMPLISH THIS MISSION THROUGH FOUR PROGRAM SERVICES AREAS (1) TRAINING DEVELOPED WITH LEADING EXPERTS AND AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE FREE OF CHARGE TO HELP INCREASE THE SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF FIREFIGHTERS AND RESCUE PERSONNEL (2) FIRE AND EMS EQUIPMENT GRANT PROGRAM PROVIDES CASH GRANTS FOR DEPARTMENTS TO PURCHASE EQUIPMENT TO IMPROVE SERVICE PERSONNEL AND CITIZEN SAFETY (3) SURVIVOR FINANCIAL GRANT PROGRAM PROVIDES CASH GRANTS TO FAMILY SURVIVORS OF FIREFIGHTERS WHO HAVE DIED IN THE LINE OF DUTY (4) PUBLIC FIRE SAFETY AWARENESS TO EDUCATE FAMILIES ABOUT IMPORTANT STEPS THEY CAN TAKE TO PREVENT FIRES AND IMPROVE THEIR SAFETY IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE
Activities: TRAINING IS CONSISTENTLY CITED AS A CRITICAL NEED IN FIRE SERVICE SURVEYS YET PROFESSIONAL LEVEL TRAINING CAN BE HARD TO COME BY, OR EXPENSIVE OR BOTH. THIS IS WHY PROVIDING FREE TRAINING IS OUR PRIMARY MISSION,AND IS THE PROGRAM AREA TO WHICH WE DEVOTE THE BULK OF OUR FUNDS. FSF'S PRIMARY FOCUS IS ON PROVIDING LIFE-SAVING, INJURY PREVENTING, AND OTHER VALUABLE TRAINING TO FIREFIGHTERS, EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS (EMTS), SEARCH AND RESCUE PERSONNEL (S&R), FIRST RESPONDERS, AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (EM) PERSONNEL. WE PRODUCE OUR OWN FIRST RESPONDER SPECIFIC TRAINING PROGRAMS ON CRITICAL ISSUES AND DISTRIBUTE THEM FREE OF CHARGE TO THESE PROFESSIONALS. FSF PROGRAMS ARE USED BY AGENCIES NATIONWIDE. WE CURRENTLY OFFER PROGRAMS IN FOUR AREAS. CORE SUBJECTS, EMERGING ISSUES, ADVANCE TOPICS AND MENTAL WELLNESS. PROGRAMS ARE DEVELOPED AND TAUGHT BY ACADEMY LEVEL INSTRUCTORS WITH SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE IN THEIR FIELDS. OUR PROGRAMS PROVIDE TURNKEY TRAINING FOR INDIVIDUALS AND AGENCIES. OUR TRANING PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO BE USED BY BOTH INDIVIDUAL SERVICE MEMBERS AND BY AGENCY TRAINERS. THEY GENERALLY INCLUDE A VIDEO AND POWERPOINT PRESENTATION. THESE PROGRAMS PROVIDE TURNKEY TRAINING. INDVIDUALS CAN VIEW THE PROGRAMS AT THEIR LEISURE, WHILE AGENCIES CAN USE THE POWERPOINT SLIDES AS DISTRIBUTED NOTES, RUN THE VIDEO PRESENTATION, AND PAUSE THE VIDEO TO DISCUSS THE MATERIAL IN THIS WAY. THE TRAINING IS CONSISTENT FROM SESSION TO SESSION. TRAINER TIME IS GREATLY REDUCED AND THE TRAINING IS COMPLETELY DOCUMENTED. TRAINING BRIEFS ADDRESS TOPICS OF CURRENT INTEREST AND CAN USUALLY BE REVIEWED AND PRESENTED IN UNDER AN HOUR. THEY ARE OFFERED AS DOWNLOADABLE DOCUMENTS IN POWERPOINT OR PDF FORMAT. THERE ARE SEVEN TRAINING PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED. WE CONTINUE OUR STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH FIRE ENGINEERING COM (EF COM), THE "GO-TO" PLACE FOR TRAINING INFORMATION IN THE FIRE SERVICE. THOUSANDS OF FIREFIGHTERS, FIRE TRAINERS, EMS, SEARCH AND RESCUE, FIRST RESPONDER, AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL VIEWED AND DOWNLOADED OUR PROGRAMS. WE CONFIDENTLY BELIEVE THAT THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL USING THE MATERIAL WAS SEVERAL TIMES HIGHER BECAUSE THIS MATERIAL IS USED FOR DEPARTMENT WIDE TRAINING SESSIONS. IN ADDITION TO THE EXPOSURE WE RECEIVED ON FIREENGINEERING COM, OUR PRESS RELEASES ABOUT NEW PROGRAMS ARE PICKED UP BY SEVERAL LEADING FIRE, EMS, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND POLICE MAGAZINES AND WEBSITES, AS WELL AS RE-TRANSMITTED TO INDUSTRY LISTS. FINALLY, AS A TESTIMONIAL TO OUR PROGRAMS' WEB PRESENCE, FSF WAS THE NUMBER ONE GOOGLE RETURN WHEN SEARCHING FOR "FREE FIREFIGHTER TRAINING" FOR MUCH OF THE YEAR.
FIREFIGHTERS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE EQUIPMENT GRANT PROGRAM AND FIREFIGHTERS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. THE PURPOSES OF THESE GRANTS ARE TO HELP INCREASE PERSONNEL AND CITIZEN SAFETY BY HELPING TO AQUIRE NEEDED BUT OTHERWISE UNFUNDED EQUIPMENT, TRAINING, AND SUPPLIES. THE GRANTS ARE MADE ON THE BASIS OF STANDARD FORMAT APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY REQUESTING DEPARTMENTS DOWNLOADING A MICROSOFT WORD OR PDF DOCUMENT FROM THE FSF WEBSITE. GRANTS WERE REVIEWED BY FSF STAFF AND RECIPIENTS CHOSEN ON THE BASIS OF NEED, POVERTY LEVEL IN APPLICANT'S REGION, AND OTHER GENERAL AND SPECIFIC FACTORS. FSF CONTINUES A SPECIAL PROGRAM TO FUND STATE AND REGIONAL AGENCIES IN THE PURCHASE OF FIREFIGHTING AND/OR TRAINING EQUIPMENT. THIS INITIATIVE IS SUPPORTED BY A SPECIAL FUND RAISING CAMPAIGN, THE FOUNDATION FOR FIRST RESPONDERS AND FIREFIGHTERS (FRFF). THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ASSISTS THE FAMILIES OF FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS BY PROVIDING THEM WITH UNRESTRICTED CASH GRANTS. WE ESPECIALLY LOOK TO MAKE DONATIONS TO FUNDS ESTABLISHED FOR THE FIREFIGHTER'S CHILDREN, HOWEVER WE MAY ALSO GIVE GRANTS TO SPOUSES AND OTHER FIREFIGHTERS' LOVED ONES WHO BEAR THE BURDEN OF CARING FOR THE FAMILY OF THE FALLEN FIREFIGHTER. WE FURTHER SELECT GRANT RECIPIENTS BY REVIEWING THE OFFICIAL LIST OF RECENTLY DECEASED FIREFIGHTERS. AS A MATTER OF POLICY, AND ON THE ADVICE OF LEGAL COUNSEL, WE DO NOT DISCLOSE THE NAMES OF THE RECIPIENTS IN ORDER TO RESPECTFULLY MAINTAIN THEIR PRIVACY.
NTEE category: Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness & Relief
Secondary category: Human Services