Chief Ronald J. Siarnicki
Executive Director, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
Most people know that Congress created the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) in 1992 to honor and remember America’s fallen firefighters and support their families.
But…. did you know there has never been any Federal funding allocated for NFFF in the Federal budget?
It’s one of the things that most consistently surprises people when we’re having fundraising conversations. I think that’s in part because our Memorial sits on government property at the FEMA USFA, National Fire Academy campus in Emmitsburg, MD.
But I talk about this a lot because our Foundation and the work we do is such an important part of the American fabric. Indeed, everyone agrees that it’s critical to honor our nation’s heroes and support their loved ones.
The NFFF has a highly dedicated staff who consider it an honor to serve America’s fire service and their families. We are only able to do this work because of the generous donations from individuals, corporate partners, and other sponsors as well as the competitive grants for which we apply.
There’s still time to give this season—and our deepest appreciation and thanks go to those who support us. Because without you, this critical work could not continue! Happy holidays—and be safe.
Chief Ronald J. Siarnicki is Executive Director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, whose mission is to honor and remember America’s fallen fire heroes, provide resources to assist their families in rebuilding their lives, and work within the fire service community to reduce firefighter line-of-duty deaths and injuries. He is also Executive Director of the First Responder Center for Excellence.
