Florida Professional Firefighters Association

What Florida Professional Firefighters Association does

The Florida Professional Firefighters Association (FPF) is a private non-profit labor union and state association chartered by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), founded in January 1944 with six charter locals and headquartered at 343 West Madison Street, Tallahassee, Florida. FPF represents more than 31,000 professional firefighters and Emergency Medical Services personnel organized through 150+ local affiliates operating across 200+ state, county, municipal, and special district government departments in Florida. Its core products and services are labor representation and collective bargaining support for members, state-level legislative advocacy, member resources (contracts, bylaws, sample contract provisions, and policy templates), and a member-only web platform built on the UnionActive platform for document access and announcements.

The association's revenue model is member-dues-based, with specific dues schedules not publicly disclosed. Adjacent fundraising channels include the Florida Salutes Firefighters specialty license plate program (legislatively authorized in 2004, with 180,600+ tags sold statewide as of December 2013, generating $20 per tag for the charitable arm) and corporate philanthropy such as a $25,000 Duke Energy Foundation grant received in June 2024. Florida Firefighters Charities, a wholly-owned 501(c)(3) non-profit subsidiary established in 1998, extends the organization's scope into fire prevention education, disaster victim financial assistance, and community donations to beneficiaries including the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), Habitat for Humanity, the Wounded Warrior Project, Special Olympics Florida, and the American Heart Association. FPF leadership includes President Wayne "Bernie" Bernoska and 4th District Vice President Armand Nault, supported by a headquarters staff of 11-50 employees.

Name

Florida Professional Firefighters Association

Legal name

Florida Professional Firefighters

Website

https://fpfp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Florida Professional Firefighters Association is a non-profit state labor union chartered by the IAFF, representing 31,000+ professional firefighters and EMS personnel across 150+ local affiliates and 200+ government departments in Florida through collective bargaining, legislative advocacy, and a 501(c)(3) charitable arm.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union Representation

NAICS

Fire Protection (922160)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

State/Provincial Public Safety & Emergency Management (Police, Fire, EMS Oversight) (BPAIABAG)

Keywords

• Labor union representation
• Collective bargaining services
• Legislative advocacy
• Member resource portal
• Firefighter charitable programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Florida Professional Firefighters (FPF) is a state-level labor association chartered by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) that represents more than 31,000 professional firefighters and EMS personnel across Florida. It provides collective bargaining representation, contract resources, legislative advocacy at the state level, and member benefits through a network of over 150 local affiliates. It also operates the Florida Firefighters Charities, a 501(c)(3) arm providing disaster relief, fire prevention education, and community support funded partly through the Florida Salutes Firefighters specialty license plate program.

Product overview

Florida Professional Firefighters (FPF) operates a member-only web platform powered by UnionActive, providing Florida professional firefighters with access to member resources including FPF Principal Officers, District Vice Presidents, ByLaws/Policies, Contracts, and Sample Contract Provisions. The organization also maintains Florida Firefighters Charities as a 501(c)(3) non-profit arm focused on fire prevention education and humanitarian aid. The website serves as the primary digital interface for member communications, legislative advocacy, charitable activities, and member-to-member information sharing, with additional social media presence through Facebook and Twitter. No distinct standalone software products or modules were identified.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Florida Firefighters Charities: 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable arm of the FPF that provides fire prevention education, financial assistance to members and disaster victims, and donates to community organizations including MDA, Habitat for Humanity, and other charities.

Products and services

• Labor Representation and Collective Bargaining Services State-level labor union representation and collective bargaining support for professional firefighters and EMS personnel working in Florida's state, county, municipal, and special district governments, delivered through 150+ local affiliates.
• Legislative Advocacy Services State-level legislative advocacy on behalf of professional firefighters and EMS personnel in Florida, including promotion of bills such as the Florida Salutes Firefighters specialty license plate legislation approved in 2004.
• Florida Firefighters Charities 501(c)(3) charitable organization providing fire prevention education, financial assistance to disaster victims and firefighters, and donations to community organizations including Muscular Dystrophy Association, Habitat for Humanity, Wounded Warrior Project, Special Olympics Florida, and the American Heart Association.
• Florida Salutes Firefighters Specialty License Plate Program Statewide specialty license plate program sold through Florida County Tax Collectors' Offices, with $20 from each tag sale going to Florida Firefighters Charities. As of December 31, 2013, over 180,600 tags had been sold statewide.
• Member Resource Portal Secure online member portal providing access to FPF Principal Officers, District Vice Presidents, ByLaws/Policies, Contracts, Sample Contract Provisions, and member downloads, along with text message alerts and email communications.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization that chartered the Florida Professional Firefighters. IAFF is the largest national sponsor of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, raising approximately $25 million of MDA's $60 million in 2006. FPF operates as a state association under IAFF's charter.
• Florida Firefighters CharitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established in 1998 as the charitable arm of the Florida Professional Firefighters. Provides fire prevention education, financial assistance to disaster victims, and donations to community organizations. Distributes proceeds from Florida Salutes Firefighters specialty license plates to local charities.
• Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida ranked #1 among all 50 states by raising over $2.1 million for MDA research, public health programs, and summer camps. Florida Firefighters contribute through IAFF's national MDA sponsorship initiative.
• Florida County Tax Collectors' OfficesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHandle the sale and distribution of Florida Salutes Firefighters specialty license plates. As of December 2013, over 180,600 tags sold statewide. $20 from each tag sale goes to Florida Firefighters Charities.
• Habitat for HumanityminorOthersLocal charity recipient of funds raised through Florida Salutes Firefighters specialty license plate sales. Money is distributed back to local charities chosen by firefighters in the counties where tags were sold.
• Wounded Warrior ProjectminorOthersOne of the charitable organizations that receives funding from Florida Firefighters Charities, selected by firefighters in the counties where specialty license plates were purchased.
• Special Olympics FloridaminorOthersOne of the charitable organizations that receives funding from Florida Firefighters Charities, selected by firefighters in the counties where specialty license plates were purchased.
• American Heart AssociationminorOthersOne of the charitable organizations that receives funding from Florida Firefighters Charities, selected by firefighters in the counties where specialty license plates were purchased.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF): Parent organization that charters FPF and represents over 300,000 firefighters across the U.S. and Canada. Comparable as the national umbrella with parallel legislative, training, and charitable programs, but operating at a vastly larger national scale.
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME): National public sector union representing state, county, and municipal employees including first responders. Comparable in collective bargaining, dues-funded model, and political advocacy, but broader in scope than fire-specific representation.
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU): National union representing public sector and service workers including some first responders. Shares the labor representation, collective bargaining, and political advocacy business model at a much larger national scale.
• National Fraternal Order of Police: Largest U.S. law enforcement organization with state and local lodge structure comparable to FPF's affiliate model. Operates in the same public safety labor representation space and engages in similar legislative advocacy.

Direct peers

• Florida Police Benevolent Association: Florida-based public safety union representing law enforcement officers statewide. Shares FPF's operating geography, public-sector membership model, collective bargaining focus, and Tallahassee legislative advocacy mission, with parallel organizational structure.
• Texas State Association of Fire Fighters: IAFF-chartered state firefighter association in Texas representing tens of thousands of professional firefighters and EMS personnel. Closest one-to-one structural peer to FPF with the same labor representation, bargaining, and advocacy mission.
• California Professional Firefighters: IAFF-chartered state professional firefighters association in California, structurally identical to FPF with local affiliate representation, legislative advocacy, and a charitable arm. Direct functional peer at a larger scale.

Regional players

• Florida Education Association (FEA): Florida's statewide teachers' union, the largest public sector union in the state. Operates in the same Florida political and legislative environment as FPF with a comparable dues-funded, affiliate-based model centered on collective bargaining.

Emerging players

• Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire: IAFF-chartered state firefighter association in New Hampshire representing professional firefighters. Structurally identical peer to FPF at a smaller scale, useful as a small-state comparable.

Others

• Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA): National fire-service member association focused on safety officer training and certification. Operates in the same firefighter professional development ecosystem as FPF, though with a narrower training-and-certification mission rather than collective bargaining.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/FPF343
• Facebookfacebook.com/FPF343
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/florida-professional-frfghtrs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Florida Professional Firefighters Association