NHPFEF News

Foundation Report

By April 23, 2020May 5th, 2021No Comments

 

New Hampshire Police, Fire & EMS Foundation

Background

New Hampshire Police, Fire & EMS Foundation is dedicated to providing aid to those who aid us in our time of need.  New Hampshire law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical service personnel are your neighbors and friends.  Yet their chosen duty is to provide their fellow citizens with first responder assistance in often dangerous, difficult or critical situations.  While many of us would choose to run from such situations seeking safety, first responders run toward them to provide public safety services.  However, our neighbors and friends who have chosen public safety careers often find themselves in need of aid.  They often suffer from the same dangers that we each face in our daily lives:  injury, illness, family emergencies, death.  The New Hampshire Police, Fire & EMS Foundation’s goal is to provide financial aid and assistance quickly, efficiently and effectively to first responders in need.

Mission Statement

“To be a resource for the needs of Police, Fire and EMS personnel and their families in dealing with crisis or catastrophes not covered by insurance or employing agencies, and or workers compensation funds.”

History

The New Hampshire Police, Fire & EMS Foundation was established in 2007 as a qualified 501(c)3 charitable organization following efforts by the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police to assist first responders.  The Foundation’s Board of Directors is made up of citizens, judges, police chiefs, fire chiefs and emergency medical technicians.  Each Board members serves as an unpaid volunteer allowing 100% of funds raised to be dedicated to supporting the Foundation’s mission statement.

Assistance Provided

As of April 18, 2020 the Foundation has provided financial assistance to first responders and their families as follows:

Police personnel         $93,384.67
Fire & EMS                   $77,250.00
Total                            $170,634.67

Examples of Foundation Assistance:

–    medical or other necessary equipment not covered by insurance
–    housing assistance needed due to home fires
–    non-covered expenses relating to critical illness or injury
–    legal fees for a child under 18 after the death of a parent
–    assistance with funeral expenses
–    lodging/travel assistance for out of town family members
relating to medical treatment and other emergencies

Case Examples

–    The Foundation assisted in paying for the purchase and installation of an electrical generator for a police officer’s wife who was on a mechanical heart while awaiting a heart transplant.  The generator was needed at their rural New Hampshire residence in order for the officer’s wife to be allowed to return home pending heart surgery.  The Foundation provided $1,400.00.
–    Financial assistance ($1,000.00) provided by the Foundation for emergency housing and expenses when a firefighter’s home was completely destroyed by fire rendering the firefighter and his family homeless.
–    Financial assistance ($1,000.00) provided by the Foundation for a 29 year old EMT and his pregnant wife when the EMT suffered three heart attacks in a two month period.
–    Financial assistance provided by the Foundation to a firefighter and his family who had lost their home due to mounting hospital bills.  The wife of the firefighter had served as a dispatcher for a local police department and had been suffering from a serious lung disease.
–    Financial assistance ($2,000.00) provided by the Foundation to assist a husband and wife, both police officers, with funeral expenses when their four year old child died unexpectedly.

There are many more case examples of Foundation financial assistance provided to police officers, firefighters and EMS personnel in need, be it travel expense assistance for family members to attend a fallen officer memorial service in Washington, travel and lodging expense assistance to obtain critically necessary medical treatment out-of-state, school clothes for children of first responders killed or injured in the line of duty, monthly rental or mortgage assistance to first responders in financial need due to illness or death of a family member.  The need for such assistance is varied, critical and most often immediate.