Our mission is to honor and remember America's fallen fire heroes, to provide resources to assist their families in rebuilding their lives, and work within the Fire Service Community to reduce firefighter deaths and injuries.
The Hotel Vendome Fire claimed the lives of nine Boston firefighters and injured eight others on June 17, 1972.
Watch Fox 5’s Because of You segment with Gwen Tolbart as she sits down with the Hedrick family and others, to tell the story of their son, Kenny. The Kenneth M. Hedrick Memorial Scholarship Fund is the second fund designed to provide scholarships that meets the full four-year cost of college tuition and books.
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation extends our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Dr. Harry Carter, Ph.D., FIFireE, CFO. Please join us as we mourn the loss of our friend. Dr. Carter was instrumental in his contributions to the fire service as an internationally-known municipal fire protection consultant, author, writer, and lecturer.
As we prepare for Memorial Weekend 2022 in October we’re looking ahead to next year and the start of a new National Fallen Firefighters Foundation tradition. Beginning in 2023 Memorial Weekend moves to May.
The NFFF Family Programs team was joined by a terrific group of presenters and a dedicated group of local fire service members—all amidst the lovely backdrop of peaceful upstate New York.
Watch the Latest IC to IC Discussion
This discussion features Chief John Butler, Chief of the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (MD) at the time of Lieutenant Nathan “‘Nate” Flynn’s tragic death on July 23, 2018. Chief Butler recalls the incident and share his experiences in dealing with the aftermath.
Register for the Next Discussion:
» IC-to-IC Discussion: Coal Canyon Wildfire (SD)
The National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, MD, the home of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial, is open for Public Visitors to Campus Memorials. All visitors will park in the lot adjacent to Building V1 where you will be security screened. Restrooms are also available in Building V1 for your convenience. Visitors are not permitted to enter NETC buildings and should follow the “marked” route on the map provided by campus security for access to the National Memorial.
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In March, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation hosted a virtual support workshop featuring Michele Neff Hernandez, who was recently named one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2021. This workshop focused on how the death of a spouse or partner not only turns our world upside down, but it also re-shapes us as individuals. One of the most important elements of grief recovery is coming to know, appreciate, and respect the new self.
We’re excited to share that Dean Erika James, of the Wharton School, will be giving our keynote address at the Innovation in Safety Symposium on June 29, 2022.
Four Philadelphia firefighters lost their lives at a 4-alarm fire at Barson’s Deli on May 16, 1976.
Juliann Ashcraft and her husband Andrew were twenty-somethings with four young children when he died in the line of duty in Prescott, Arizona on June 30, 2013. In fact, he was one of 19 wildland firefighters who died in the line of duty that day, with just one member of the crew surviving. Overwhelmed with gratitude for the strangers who sent letters and cards and offered support, Ashcraft converted a 40-foot Greyhound bus into a home on wheels and hit the road with her kids on a gratitude tour that would take them across the United States. Juliann wrote about the tour on a blog, and in this episode she talks about how she’s always used her writing to process her thoughts and feelings. She also describes how she recently added the word “gift” to her personal definition of the word “grief”—for without her experience of losing Andrew, she would not be who she is today.
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events
May – October 2022
Locations Across the U.S.
Our golf program has grown to nearly 20 tournaments that help the NFFF support families of fallen firefighters.
» Find a Golf Tournament Near You
June 28-29, 2022
Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District – Philadelphia, PA
The Innovation in Safety Symposium supports Initiative #8 and will focus on the future of technology in the fire service. The Symposium will feature panel discussions, TEDs-like presentations, short case studies, and workshops. This event is capped at 100 attendees. Please register soon!
July 28, 2022 1:00 pm ET
Webinar
This discussion features Assistant Fire Management Officer Steve Esser of the South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression Division who recalls a wildland fire that resulted in the line-of-duty death of Firefighter Trampus S. Haskvitz on August 11, 2011.
July 24 – 27, 2022
The Ridgeline Hotel – Estes Park, CO
Join others at the 2022 Men’s Retreat, share stories and experience adventure in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Space is limited for this event. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration will remain open until full or until June 24th.
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