HEATHER CASPI and LON SLEPICKA
Firehouse.com News
The unselfish giving that is going on in the United States and around the
world is becoming a truly remarkable event. Firehouse.com has been receiving
thousands of electronic messages and talking with hundreds of people who are
pleading to give money to the victims of the New York City terrorist attack
and to find a way to honor those Bravest, who died trying to save others.
Photo Courtesy Charlottesville Fire Department
Charlottesville was one of the many fire departments that helped to raise money for The New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund. Click for more photos of the World's Bravest Saluting & Supporting our Fallen Heroes.
Quick Facts & Links:
• How to Donate to the IAFF New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund for FDNY Fire and EMS Personnel
• How to Donate to the NY Twin Towers Fund for all Unformed Personnel
• How I Can Help, Where to Send Cards, Well Wishes
The International Association of Fire Fighters 9-11 Fund has
raised more than an estimated $10 million thus far. The Fund was kicked off with a $2 million pledge from the Tyco
Corporation last week. Half of the proceeds of a special Whitney Houston rendition of the Star Spangled Banner
will also go to the fund, the IAFF said.
Firehouse.com visitors, including emergency services personnel and civilians alike, have reported wire
transfers to the IAFF totalling more than $1 million plus hundreds of thousands of dollars in check and money
order donations have poured into our offices, with the volume of mail quadrupling each day thus far. Early
estimates put donations in the millions.
The 9-11 Fund also includes nearly $3 million that has been raised via online contributions on
Yahoo! in conjunction with
FireDonations.com.
America Online has also been promoting the IAFF's Fund, which will be utilized to support the families
of those FDNY personnel lost, raising millions of dollars. Donations are also being sent to the Unions
in New York directly that represent the lost heroes.
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The message from all of these people is clearly a heartfelt desire to
recognize and honor the greatest sacrifice made by those first responders on
September 11. This is a collection from Firehouse.com of the efforts of some
whom do not want the world to forget that the Bravest knows that the next
call may be the final call.
Fulton County, Ga. Raises Nearly $500,000
One of the most successful boot drives so far has been by Fulton
County firefighters in Georgia, who raised $465,000 in just three
days, said Public Information Office Reginald Smith.
The department had firefighters from all 19 of their stations working
six to seven hours each day at multiple locations. They had their
trucks out with banners draped across them, and handed out flyers to
make sure everyone knew that the collection was for the families of
fallen firefighters in NYC.
Smith said the department's boot drives normally bring in about
$40,000 and they were shocked at the large amount they were able to
raise this time.
"We were not expecting it to be this enormous," he said.
One man even submitted a check for $10,000.
And although the boot drive is over, donations are still coming in
through the mail and coming from Girl Scouts, senior citizens groups,
and other organizations. One of the department's own members donated
$700, Smith said.
"The response has been remarkable," he said.
In some cases the citizens were throwing money at the firefighters,
who were so busy that they had to take breaks, Smith said. They
continued to get great feedback in the evening, when they went around
to the local taverns with their boots.
Lumberton Texas Volunteers Raise Funds at Wal-Mart Stores
Members of the Lumberton Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services, 40 members, all
volunteer, centered in Lumberton, Texas, population 6,600, spent the better
part of last Saturday and Sunday in from of the local Wal-Mart store with a
sign asking for money for the families of missing FDNY firefighters. They
collected over $7,000 with more being dropped off at the fire station all
the time.
Department Fire Marshall Jim Philp said what struck him was, "the resurgence
of the respect for the fire service." People showed the volunteers a great
appreciation for the work they do apparently gained from watching the scene
from New York City. About the sizeable amount of money raised, Philp said,
"we are a very small place with a very big heart."
Johnson County, Kansas: Over $200,000
Leslie Ober, a dispatcher with Johnson County Kansas Emergency
Communications Center which dispatches for all the departments in the
county, said they decided to see what they could do in the way of fund
raising. They sent a page to all fire chiefs asking if they wanted to
participate. The result since Friday morning has been over $200,000 in
donations collected.
Ober said they began at the national prayer service held at the county
administration building. "Mostly it has been on the street corners with
boots," she said. "It’s hard to get them to stop. I just had a chief call
and say a man just walked into the station with a thousand dollar check."
Photo By Jim Philp
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They have turned the money over to First American Bank in Leneza, which is
sorting it all out and will send it to an established fund for the victims
of lost firefighters in New York City. Johnson County has thirteen volunteer
and combo fire departments along with Johnson County MED-ACT, the county
wide ALS service. The county population is 458,000 with the city of Overland
Park population of 151,000.
Fill the Boot in Pend Oreille County, Washington
Stephanie Meakin, a firefighter with Pend Oreille County Fire District 4 in
Washington, e-mailed Firehouse.com with information on their fund raising
effort.
"Saturday, Sept 15th, the first ever coming together of all emergency
services workers - Firefighters and EMT's from every service in our County -
Fire Districts, Fire Departments, Forest Service, DNR, Private Ambulance
Service, joined together to raise donations for the New York 9-11 Relief Fund. At 1700
hours, we had tallied "one third" of the donations, over $11,000.00.
We did a fill-the-boot approach on every street corner, highway intersection,
door-to-door. Now this amount may not seem much when some are raising
hundreds of thousands, but our County is the second poorest economically
depressed in our State with a total of 10,000 residents. This is a first
ever coming together in the history of our county of all the emergency
services to work together for a common cause. Pend Oreille County Firefighters and EMT's
felt this was our way of helping, we all felt helpless as to rendering aid
in this tragedy, what we do........ our citizens overwhelmed us with their
support, our people are poor and they gave everything they could and more.
We clearly stated in all our signs, our conversations with the residents
that this donation would go directly to the IAFF New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief
Fund for the families of the fallen Firefighters, they filled our boots many
times over. They cried as they gave, we cried with them. God Bless America.
Our thoughts, prayers and our hearts are with the fallen and the families of
the NYFD, NYPD, and all Emergency Services and Rescue Efforts."
Boundary County, Idaho Lends a Hand
In another e-mail to Firehouse.com, Than Widner, Lieutenant with the North
Bench Volunteer Fire Department, Boundary County, Idaho, wrote, "On Saturday
9/22/01, all of the Volunteer Fire Departments in Boundary County joined
together in support of the FDNY Firefighters and their families. We have a
population of less than 10,000 and we managed to collect $16,950.00 in 8
hours. We set up at different locations around the county and did a
Fill-the-Boot drive. The Fire Departments that were involved include: Hall
Mountain Volunteer Fire Department, North Bench Volunteer Fire Department,
Curley Creek VFD, City of Bonners Ferry VFD, Paradise Valley VFD, and Naples
VFD. All of the money is being donated to the New York Firefighters 9-11
Relief Fund."
The Zionsville, Indiana Fire Department, located just northwest of
Indianapolis
had collected about $14,000 as of Tuesday, said Chief James C.
VanGorder. They put up a sign in their front yard Wednesday after the
attack and people immediately began streaming in.
"We've been inundated to the point we can't get out of the firehouse," he
said.
The 40-member, volunteer department has received individual donations
up to $1,000.
Photo By Jim Philp
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The peak collection days were Thursday and Friday, when they had
firefighters standing outside, VanGorder said. But although
individual donations have decreased since then, they are getting more
donations from local organizations.
Solon, Ohio: $20,000 in Four Hours
Solon Fire Rescue of Ohio raised $20,000 in just four hours on
Sunday, said Chief William J. Shaw, with about a dozen firefighters
taking donations at the busiest intersection in town.
"The guys were extremely frustrated watching all the activity on TV
and not being called to help," Shaw said. The boot drive was such a
positive and successful experience that the department plans to hold
another drive this Sunday, in conjunction with the local police
department.
Shaw said some of the donations reached several hundred dollars, and
the people stopping seemed extremely grateful for the opportunity to
help out in some way.
The chief said the 51 members of the career department are still
hoping they will get a call to help out at ground zero. "They're
chomping at the bit," Shaw said.
Hampstead, NC: Spur of the Moment Drive Nets $26,000
The Hampstead VFD of North Carolina raised $26,000 over the weekend
when they decided to take up a collection on the spur of the moment,
said Chief James Garvey.
For several hours on Saturday and Sunday, about 12 firefighters from
Hampstead and another 12 from their neighboring department, Sloop
Point FD, stood at a busy intersection with their trucks, an American
flag and a sign that said they were supporting the families of the
fallen NYC firefighters.
"We just went out and did it," Garvey said. "There was no planning,
no effort at all."
The chief said people traveling through from states up north,
including New York, actually stopped to take pictures of the
collection.
"It was real emotional for them to see us doing things for people we
didn't even know," the chief said.
Garvey said the 45-member fire department felt a special need to help
the victims of the NYC tragedy because they have had four hurricanes
hit their coastal community in the past 6 years, and know what it's
like to
experience disaster.
Photo Courtesy Charlottesville Fire Department
Departments worldwide were affected by the tragedy. Click for more photos of the World's Bravest Saluting & Supporting our Fallen Heroes.
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Boy Scouts Help Lexington, Missouri Raises Nearly $10,000
Lexington Fire & Rescue of Missouri raised $9,115 during their
three-day boot drive Saturday through Monday, said FF/EMT Daniel
Bland.
About eight firefighters at a time worked at the busiest intersection
in town, for 11 hours a day. The combination department has a total
of 40 personnel, nine who are full time firefighters.
"When people heard we were doing this they just flocked," Bland said.
One man even drove the 40 miles from Kansas to come and donate $100.
The local Boy Scouts also took up their own collection and then
brought it over to add to the firefighters, Bland said.
Charlottesville, VA and 7 Other Departments Raise Over $250,000
The Charlottesville, VA FD was also extremely successful and raised
over $250,000 in four days, in conjunction with eight local fire
departments.
Deputy Chief Charles Werner said they had about 15 firefighters
working at a time, for four hours each day Thursday through Sunday.
He urges all fire departments to get out and do their own boot drives
if they haven't already.
"The experience we had is something no firefighter should miss," he
said. "People were emotional, throwing money at us, giving 20s, 50s,
writing checks for $100 and $1,000."
Some of the people stopping were in tears, hugging the firefighters, and
taking
pictures to send to people they know in New York.
"Every firefighter had to take a moment out to compose themselves,"
Werner said. "It was the most heart warming experience."
He said the interaction and the opportunity to help served as a
healing exercise and an outlet for both the firefighters and the
public.
Werner said they didn't want to wear out their welcome by collecting
for too long, but as soon as they stopped people would complain and
bring the money to the station. He said $7,000 was dropped off at the
station Monday.
Kids are even bringing in proceeds from lemonade sales.
Photo By Arie Muller
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"Somehow it just started generating a life of it's own," Werner said
of the fund raising. He said this is partly due to the media coverage
they have received.
As several firefighters were food shopping on Tuesday, they were
given three donations. Contributions are also pouring in from boots
left at local stores and restaurants.
Local eating establishments provided free food and drink to the
firefighters while they were out collecting money and citizens have
been bringing cakes and
baked goods to the firefighters at the stations.
Werner said one of the most touching experiences came after the boot
drive one evening when the firefighters went out to eat. A father put
his little girl up on the table and she sang the National Anthem in
honor of the firefighters present and those in New York. "There
wasn't a dry eye in the house," Werner said.
The fire departments and organizations that worked together with the
Charlottesville Fire Department were the East Rivanna Volunteer Fire
Company, North Garden Volunteer Fire Department, Earlysville Volunteer Fire
Company, Crozet Volunteer Fire Department, Stony Point Vol. FD,
Seminole Trail Vol. Fire Company, Charlottesville Professional
Firefighters, Albemarle Fire-Rescue Department and Albemarle
Professional Firefighters.
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