Public Safety Officer Benefits

167 Fire Hero Family volunteers sent 2,696 Remembrance cards in the reporting period July 1 - December 31, 2023 to families of other fallen firefighters near the anniversary date of each firefighter’s death. These FHFN members wrote personalized messages and mailed a specially designed card to other fire hero family survivors to arrive near the anniversary date.

For a fire hero family who has lost a firefighter in the line of duty, the holidays can be an especially challenging time of year. For this reason, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has created the Winter Family Retreat. Open to all ages and family members, this event that will focus on service, giving back to others at the holidays, self-care, reflection, and fellowship with others. Attendees will help decorate the Memorial site and the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Chapel for the annual Tree Lighting and will attend the service.

This event is open to children and stepchildren, ages 21 and up, whose firefighter parent has been or is approved to be honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland. In direct response to requests from adult children within the Fire Hero Family community, the Adult Children's Retreat, the first NFFF event that specifically serves adult children (ages 21+) of fallen firefighters focuses on promoting healing, resilience, and connection with others who are walking a similar path.

This event is open to adult men ages 18+ in the Fire Hero Family community (husbands/male life partners, fathers/stepfathers, sons/stepsons, brothers/stepbrothers) whose firefighter has been honored or is approved to be honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. For many men sadness can be a difficult emotion to navigate and emotional processing occurs differently in men than women. Men feel they must handle their emotions alone or they will show signs of weakness. Instead of emotional expression, men benefit greatly from doing things.

Twenty weekly virtual Peer Support Group meetings were held for family members of fallen firefighters from July - December 2023. On average 20 family members participate weekly. Since July, 440 Fire Hero Family members participated in the Wednesday night Zoom meetings.

Host virtually, the monthly Remembrance Group for families of fallen firefighters and first responders. The anniversary of a loved one’s death often brings up emotions and memories that can be difficult. While the anniversary is deeply important, it often is not recognized by friends, co-workers, or others in our lives. Sometimes it is helpful to be with others who truly understand.

Hosted the monthly Men Forging Ahead, a virtual support group for men only. Designed to foster support and camaraderie between the men, sons, brothers, fathers, and stepfathers, in the Fire Hero Family community who often feel pressure to “be strong” for others or process feelings alone. This meeting provides a safe place for men to gather with other men who have experienced a similar loss, discuss shared experiences, and support one another.

The Fire Hero Family Network began in 1997, to provide newly bereaved family members with the benefit of connecting with a peer who understands the loss and has gone through the process of dealing with the death of a first responder. More than 400 trained members are available to reach out to newly bereaved families and provide the emotional support only those who have “been there” can provide.

A two-day training to help every chapter be successful. This training will ensure that all chapters understand how important sound business practices are to the overall health of C.O.P.S. C.O.P.S. must rely on its chapters to provide immediate support to surviving law enforcement families and ensure C.O.P.S.’ business is conducted in a professional manner at the grass roots level. This two-day training is being provided to help chapters understand how their business practices reflect on the National organization and vice versa.

Parents Retreat provides educational sessions on coping with grief and very strong peer-support & connection from other survivors.