The recently formed First Responders Relief Fund (FRRF) has announced a national effort called “Put Help in the Helmet” to provide immediate financial relief to all Katrina-Rita affected First Responders, including fire, rescue, law enforcement officers, nurses, and Emergency Medical Service professionals.
Beginning September 28th, Fire, Rescue, EMS & Police Departments nationwide will kick off Put Help in the Helmet to collect funds for relief efforts. The funds, maintained by the New York-based non-profit foundation, will be exclusively used to assist public safety workers who lost real and personal property during Hurricane Katrina.
Fire, Rescue, EMS and Law Enforcement agencies are asked to participate by going to www.firstrespondersrelief.com for all the details. Although the fund raising is to start this week, the effort will continue for the next 3 weekends as well with the understanding that many public safety participants require some additional time to get local coordination up and running.
“When everyone else fled the affected areas, our first responders stayed and did the job they were supposed to do: they helped their communities. Now, many of them continue to work without knowing the status of their families and the condition of their homes, making it even harder to respond. They are down and they need our help getting back on their feet, which is why we encourage everyone to put some help in those helmets when they see their public safety officials taking collections on our nation’s streets during the next few days,” FRRF Founder and Chief of the Atlanta Fire Department Dennis Rubin said.
The initial goal of the Foundation’s Put Help in the Helmet drive is to raise at least 50 million dollars. Collections will take place at shopping malls, sporting events and traffic lights at every main street across America over the next several weeks-starting this weekend. Afterward, the Foundation and its members will announce a series of events over the next several months to double that success.
The Foundation is the first of its kind to focus on all First Responders. While the immediate effort is geared toward Katrina/Rita relief, the Foundation will continue to raise money that will be used to support first responders in the event of any future major disasters.
“Our country expects preparedness and responsiveness in times of emergency. This effort answers that call loudly by making sure our first responders can recover and continue to serve. It’s a national effort that we envision benefiting future generations,” Chief William Killen, President of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, said.
The Foundation itself is mainly comprised of dedicated fire and law enforcement representatives. Distinguished elected officials who have demonstrated a commitment to public safety, including Senator John McCain and Senator Joseph Biden, Congressman Curt Weldon, Congressman Peter King and Georgia Lt. Governor Mark Taylor are serving as honorary chairpersons.
Before today, the Foundation has been providing relief to firefighters for 14 years under its previous name, the Foundation for American Firefighters. Chairman Dennis Smith also serves on the Board of the New York Police & Fire Widows and Children Benefit Fund that successfully raised over $160 million dollars after the tragedy that befell our nation September 11, 2001. He is also a member of the Congressional Fire Services National Advisory Committee.
About the Foundation
The First Responders Relief Foundation is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation governed by the IRS (Tax ID# 13-3411053) committed to providing relief for first responders in times of an emergency. The Foundation adheres to established foundation guidelines with its grant process and all contributions are tax deductible. Established by Dennis Smith, the organization is governed by an Executive Committee. Annual reports of the organization are kept by the state of New York’s office of the Attorney General. Additional information can be found on the Foundation’s web site: http://www.firstrespondersrelief.com.