The program goals and initiatives of Friends of Firefighters strive to create two essential bridges. One bridge connects a firehouse to its local community. The other connects the New York City firefighter community to existing resources and tools aimed at alleviating and ultimately dissipating the trauma they have experienced. In addition, our goals are to:

Identify

Continue to develop relationships with New York City firefighters, retirees and firehouses, especially those houses where firefighters were lost. The intent is to help identify firefighters who might require individualized health care services and to spread awareness of the many sources of assistance available.

Outreach

Reach out to isolated individuals of the New York firefighting community who are at risk for alcohol or substance abuse, suicide, or other trauma-related illnesses, and facilitate the healing process.

Empower the wives and children of surviving firefighters to understand and support one another, thereby restoring a sense of safety within the bonds of their family structure.

Recognize other family members of firefighters such as parents and siblings who are also suffering loss and grief and provide them with services.

Provide support and services for the many retired firefighters who returned to service as volunteers on September 11th, and do not have department services available to them. Many of these firefighters participated in the recovery effort until the closing of the site, and were not only an emotional focal point for the active members of the FDNY, but their years of experience were an invaluable resource. In addition, due to medical issues after 9/11, many were forced into early retirement and are now disconnected from the firehouses that were their homes.

Provide long-term support to the active and retired firefighters and their families by listening and responding to their needs.