The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) is asking residents, communities, businesses, and fire departments from coast to coast to celebrate firefighters on International Firefighters’ Day, Tuesday, May 4, by lighting their homes and businesses red, taking a photo, and sharing it on social media with the hashtag #Shine4Firefighters.
Anyone needing red bulbs can get them and support the NFFF at the same time by buying online and using the organization’s Amazon Associates link at https://amzn.to/2XWm5oE.
“Join us in thanking firefighters for their service as they work the front lines of these troubling times,” said Chief Ron Siarnicki, Executive Director of the NFFF. “Our communities have been made stronger by the dedication of firefighters, and nowhere is it more evident in their response to COVID-19.”
The NFFF is also encouraging families to celebrate this special day by drawing, coloring, and sharing a thank-you note with the NFFF by emailing a photo of the artwork to photos@firehero.org and using it on social media with the hashtag #WeThanks FFs. That artwork will then be shared on the organization’s website and social media.
Residents are also encouraged to honor a firefighter or firefighters who have been special to their lives and families by sharing a photo of their firefighters. Post a picture on your social media platforms of a firefighter who is important to you with the hashtag #ThisIsMyFirefighter.
International Firefighters’ Day was established in 1999 to honor the lives of five firefighters who died in a wildfire in Victoria, Australia, and to recognize the service and sacrifice that firefighters around the world make daily. This day of recognition is at the core of what the NFFF does: to honor and remember America’s fallen firefighters, to assist their families in rebuilding their lives, and to prevent firefighter line-of-duty injuries and deaths.
Congress created the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to lead a nationwide effort to honor America’s fallen firefighters. Since 1992, the non-profit foundation has developed and expanded programs that fulfill that mandate. Its mission is to honor and remember America’s fallen fire heroes, to provide resources to assist their families in rebuilding their lives, and to work within the fire service community to reduce firefighter deaths and injuries.
Additional information about International Firefighters’ Day is available at https://www.firehero.org/firefighters-day/.
