The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) in Emmitsburg, Maryland will receive a federal grant of $999,963 to create new programs and support existing programs for survivors and coworkers of fallen firefighters, U.S. Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett announced today.
The grant will help the NFFF expand its national programs and services to assist survivors of fallen firefighters, according to a press release sent by Congressman Bartlett's office.
''This is the very least that we as individuals and as a government can do to honor and commemorate the selfless call to duty by these brave men and women who sacrificed their lives to protect others," Bartlett (R-MD) of Buckeystown said in the press release. ''This grant will assist in improving and expanding the Foundation's programs that support their grieving families and coworkers while increasing understanding of the valuable role firefighters and emergency responders play in every community."
The grant will help pay for the foundation to add 40 new members to the Fire Services Survivors Network, which helps survivors locate grief support in their local communities, according to the press release. The network sponsors family day activities during the annual Memorial Weekend; provides information on death and disability benefits; develops state and regional response teams to assist survivors in accessing federal, state and local benefits; offers specialized Web site services and resources; and conducts a two-day conference for survivors.
The grant will also help enhance the ''Taking Care of Our Own" training program with expanded support and response networks to assist fire service managers. The program will promote initiatives to reduce line-of-duty deaths, and the foundation will provide public speaking training for survivors to share their success stories.
For more information about the foundation, visit the U.S. Fire Administration's Web site at www.usfa.fema.gov/fatalities/.