Fire Foundation is launching a limited-edition Memorial Expansion Challenge Coin.
To mark May Wildfire Preparedness Month, the California Fire Foundation (www.cafirefoundation.org), the California-based non-profit that assists families of fallen firefighters, firefighters, and the communities they protect, is helping Californians prepare for fire season, supporting fire victims, and honoring fallen firefighters across California.
To help Californians stay ready for a wildfire at any time, the California Fire Foundation has just relaunched its Firefighters on Your Side community preparedness program in multiple languages. The program aims to help Californians prepare their homes with defensible space, make a 5-minute evacuation plan, pre-pack essentials, and print a master checklist to ensure all family members are ready for an emergency.
While it has been a rainy winter in California, that does not necessarily mean fewer wildfires. The California Fire Foundation responds in real-time during any fire or disaster emergency to fund and offer Disaster Relief cards to support survivors. The Disaster Relief program brings immediate, short-term relief to victims of wildfires and natural disasters throughout California with a $250 gift card that allows survivors to purchase necessities. In 2023, the Foundation helped over 7,700 Californians by distributing DISASTER RELIEF CARDS worth over $595,000.
“Our typical wildfire season used to be July to October, but Californians need to stay prepared year-round,” said Brian Rice, Chair of the California Fire Foundation and President of California Professional Firefighters. “Community preparedness and raising funds are critical to our mission to support both residents and our firefighters and their families.”
In addition, to honor fallen firefighters and raise funds for the California Firefighters Memorial Wall Expansion project in Sacramento, since the wall has no more space to list the names of our fallen firefighters, the California Fire Foundation is launching a limited-edition Memorial Expansion Challenge Coin available to all donors who give a $125 or greater donation to benefit the Memorial Expansion. These memorial coins will be numbered 1-10,000 and available to honor any member of the fire service, past or present. You can select at checkout if you want your coin planted on-site at the Memorial in Capitol Park in Sacramento or saved as a keepsake. To preserve the memories of fallen firefighters, the California Fire Foundation also recently launched its Oral History Project to gather stories from families, friends, and colleagues.
Residents and businesses can PREPARE for fire season, SUPPORT victims, and HONOR California firefighters by:
- PREPARING for #WildfirePreparednessMonth! Are you ready? Visit Firefighters on Your Side (https://firefightersonyourside.org/) to view and download multilingual tools and resources to get prepared:
- SUPPORTING victims of California fires by helping to fund DISASTER RELIEF CARDS which provides fire victims $250 cash cards to buy necessities immediately after a fire or natural disaster..
- HONORING firefighters with a new limited-edition Memorial Expansion Challenge Coin available to all donors who give a $125 or greater donation to help expand the California Firefighters Memorial.
- SHARING stories of fallen firefighters across California to help their legacy live on through the California Fire Foundation’s new Oral History Project. To share your story, leave a voicemail of your favorite memory at 916-883-3580.
Learn how to prepare for Fire Season & Natural Disasters at FirefightersOnYourSide.org. Learn more about the Memorial Wall Expansion and how to support at CAFireFoundation.org.
