Los Angeles County Fire Department Foundation
"Don’t my taxes cover the costs of life-saving efforts?”
This is a common misconception. Only a small fraction of taxes are earmarked for our first responders. For example, if you pay $5,000 in property taxes, $8.50 of that goes to emergency responders. To put that in perspective, an average 911 response costs $1,500, nevermind the costs of essential life-saving rescue gear. With wildfires in California continuing to break records, LA County Fire has had to invest in new resources and tools. As an example, one of their best tools to fight fires is their Air Support Teams, and it costs $9,000 an hour for one helicopter supporting containment. Damage from fires, and the equipment needed to combat them, can cost billions of dollars.
Our donations save lives that taxes cannot.
Firefighter Cancer Support Network
Firefighters are 9% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than the average American. Worse, they’re more likely to die from these cancers. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), firefighters have a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer when compared to the general population in the United States.
Since 2005, the Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN) has provided assistance and one-on-one mentoring to thousands of cancer-stricken firefighters and their families. FCSN also delivers extensive firefighter cancer awareness and prevention training nationwide.
Direct Relief
Direct Relief responds to wildfires across the western United States, providing a wide variety of requested medical aid, from wound care to chronic disease treatments, and distributing emergency grant funding.
They are also prepared to help communities over the long haul by supporting local health organizations, improving resilience, and working to increase access to care in communities affected by wildfires and other emergencies.