The California Fire Foundation Celebrates October Firefighter Appreciation Month With Community Partners, PSAs, and Events Across California

Encourages Californians to Prepare for Fire Season & Natural Disasters with Firefighters On Your Side Public Awareness Campaign

Hosts Annual California Firefighters Memorial at the State Capitol in Sacramento, CA, on Saturday, October 14

SACRAMENTO, CA (September 27, 2023) – The California Fire Foundation (www.cafirefoundation.org), the California-based non-profit that assists families of fallen firefighters, firefighters, and the communities they protect, has proclaimed October as California Firefighter Appreciation Month (FFAM). In concert with state legislature initiatives, the California Fire Foundation will launch statewide programs and events to celebrate local firefighters, honor the fallen, and prepare Californians for fire season.

To mark Firefighter Appreciation Month, local businesses are raising money for the California Fire Foundation’s key educational, financial, and emotional support programs. The Foundation’s initiatives include its SAVE CARD program (Supplying Aid to Victims of Emergency), which provides fire victims $250 cash cards to buy necessities immediately after a fire or natural disaster, its newly relaunched Firefighters on Your Side community preparedness PSA program, and the annual California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony and Wall in Sacramento that honors firefighters who lost their life in the line of duty.

"We are grateful for the support of our business partners for their dedication to firefighters and their families, and we are proud of our efforts to keep our communities safer," said Brian Rice, Chair of California Fire Foundation and President, California Professional Firefighters. "The community awareness and funds are critical to supporting our first responders who dedicate their lives to protecting others, especially with increased temperatures and heightened wildfire risk."

From January to April 2023, the Foundation has already helped over 380,000 Californians impacted by winter storms in Santa Cruz County, Santa Barbara County, Sacramento County, Monterey County, and other counties by distributing 2,350 SAVE CARDS worth over $772,000. Most recently, as a national leader in natural disaster response, the Foundation jumped into action to aid Hawaii firefighters by establishing the Maui Wildfire Relief Fund and delivering 8 R.V. homes to firefighters who lost their homes in partnership with EmergencyRV.

The California Fire Foundation invites residents to prepare for wildfires and natural disasters at FirefightersOnYourSide.org, and support with a tax-deductible donation, alongside other ways:

HOW TO SUPPORT?

The Franciscan Wine Estate as part of & J. Gallo Winery, a family-owned leader in CA wines, is proudly donating $10,000 to support California Fire Foundation. California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) also kicked off California Firefighter Appreciation Month early with its PIZZA WITH A PURPOSE fundraiser on September 25.
Local businesses and residents are invited to fundraise for firefighters and the communities they protect and donate at CAFireFoundation.org.
Residents are invited to thank their local firefighters and share their support on social media using hashtags #thankafirefighter#ffappreciationmonth #cafirefoundation in support!

HOW TO PREPARE?

The Foundation has launched Firefighters on Your Side (https://firefightersonyourside.org/) with multilingual tools and resources to view online and print, including:
- VIDEO PSA: What is a 5 Minute Plan? (Link)
- VIDEO PSA: Pre-Pack Essentials (Link)
- Print your Preparedness Checklist (Link)
- How to Prevent & Escape Housefires (Link)

HOW TO HONOR?

To honor fallen officers during Firefighters Appreciation Month, the annual California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony will be held in Sacramento, CA, on Saturday, October 14. The Memorial ceremony will feature a uniformed firefighter procession, tributes, and presentation of the U.S. flag to the families of those whose names are being added to the Memorial Wall. The Memorial Wall currently features over 1,500 names of those who have lost their lives in the line of duty in California since 1850. The outdoor procession is open to the public, and the Memorial will be streamed live on Facebook @CAFireFound and YouTube @TheCafirefoundation.

For additional information, please visit CAFireFoundation.org.

Stay tuned for updates on social media by following California Fire Foundation at @CAFireFound on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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About California Fire Foundation:

The California Fire Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, provides emotional and financial assistance to families of fallen firefighters, firefighters, and the communities they protect. Formed in 1987 by California Professional Firefighters, the California Fire Foundation’s mission includes survivor and victim assistance programs and a range of community initiatives. In rapid response to the latest disaster, The California Fire Foundation has set up a disaster relief fund to support the citizens and firefighters impacted by the recent wildfire in Maui, Hawaii. For more information on the California Fire Foundation’s Maui Wildfire Relief Fund and how to support this vital program, visit  https://www.cafirefoundation.org/maui-wildfire-relief.