National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

What National Fallen Firefighters Foundation does

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), doing business as Fire Hero, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation created by the U.S. Congress in 1992 and headquartered on the National Emergency Training Center (FEMA/National Fire Academy) campus in Emmitsburg, Maryland, with a secondary office in Crofton, MD. It is the only congressionally chartered national organization dedicated to honoring America's fallen firefighters and supporting the families, departments, and coworkers left behind. The foundation serves two primary constituencies: Fire Hero Families (spouses, children, siblings, and parents of firefighters honored at the National Memorial) and U.S. fire departments and fire service organizations.

NFFF operates a broad programmatic portfolio rather than technology products. Family-facing services include the annual Memorial Weekend at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial, the Fire Hero Family Network peer-matching program, an educational Scholarship Program, the Hal Bruno Camps for Children, Winter Retreat & Tree Lighting, Virtual Support Groups, Men Forging Ahead, and a bi-monthly Journey newsletter. Fire-service-facing programs include Taking Care of Our Own® LODD preparedness, Local Assistance State Teams (LAST) for rapid department response, Uniformed Peer Support Networks, the Vulnerability Assessment Program (VAP), and the Fire Hero Learning Network. Research and leadership development are delivered through the NFFF Fellowship Program with Oklahoma State University.

Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropic and grant channels rather than commercial sales: individual donations ($25 to $250+ plus a Giving Circle at $1,000+ annual giving), government grants (DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance, FEMA Memorial Weekend sponsorship, NIST research support), corporate sponsorships (Hubbard Broadcasting, Cintas Fire Protection, Whelen Engineering, Motorola Solutions Foundation, NFPA, Pierce Manufacturing, Pye-Barker, etc.), Walk of Honor® brick sponsorships, merchandise sales via shop.firehero.org, and event fundraising (golf tournaments, 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs, the Jimmie Johnson Helmet of Heroes auction with The NASCAR Foundation). Distribution is overwhelmingly direct: web, mail, phone, and on-campus event sales, supplemented by the Combined Federal Campaign (#10292).

Name

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

Legal name

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

Website

https://firehero.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created by U.S. Congress in 1992 that honors fallen U.S. firefighters and provides long-term family support, scholarships, peer networks, and LODD-prevention training to fire departments and Fire Hero Families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire Service Nonprofit Support Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Firefighter & Fire Service Training (EDAOAMAB), Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI)

Keywords

• Firefighter family support
• Line-of-duty death assistance
• Fire service memorial programs
• Firefighter safety training
• Nonprofit firefighter advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Emmitsburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The foundation relies heavily on private donations from caring individuals. Donation options range from $25 to $250 and above, with recurring giving options through the Giving Circle ($1,000+ annually).
2. Government Grants: Grant funding from Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance supports family programs. FEMA sponsors Memorial Weekend. NIST supports research on line-of-duty death prevention. These are specific-purpose grants requiring annual applications.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners including Hubbard Broadcasting, Cintas Fire Protection, Whelen Engineering, Motorola Solutions, NFPA, Pierce Manufacturing, and others provide financial and in-kind support. Partners Council and Affiliate Program engage corporate sponsors.
4. Brick Sponsorship and Merchandise: Walk of Honor bricks sold for memorial tributes. Online store sells commemorative merchandise. Foundation store at memorial events provides additional revenue.
5. Auction and Fundraising Events: Special auctions like the Jimmie Johnson Helmet of Heroes generate proceeds for safety initiatives. Golf tournaments, 9/11 stair climbs, and community events provide fundraising opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation honors America's fallen firefighters and provides ongoing support to their surviving families and co-workers. It delivers a portfolio of programs including an annual Memorial Weekend, grief counseling, peer support networks, scholarships, training resources for fire departments, and advocacy initiatives aimed at reducing line-of-duty deaths.

Product overview

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation operates as a unified nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services centered on honoring fallen firefighters and supporting their families and colleagues. The core offerings include the annual Memorial Weekend at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD, which serves as the centerpiece of the Foundation's tribute activities. Supporting this are family support programs including the Fire Hero Family Network, Scholarship Program, Hal Bruno Camps for Children, Winter Retreat & Tree Lighting, and various Virtual Support Groups (Peer Support, Facilitated Support, Remembrance Groups) and Men Forging Ahead. For the fire service, the Foundation provides the Taking Care of Our Own® program, Local Assistance State Teams (LAST), the Vulnerability Assessment Program (VAP), and Fire Hero Learning Network for training. The NFFF Fellowship Program, conducted in partnership with Oklahoma State University, strengthens fire service leadership through research. The Foundation also maintains the Memorial Park with Walk of Honor® bricks and publishes The Journey newsletter for family outreach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FRCE (First Responder Center of Excellence): A program/resource center for first responders
• Legacies in Leadership
• Fire Hero Learning Network
• Vulnerability Assessment Program (VAP)
• Everyone Goes Home
• Taking Care of Our Own
• Walk of Honor

Products and services

• Memorial Weekend Annual national tribute honoring firefighters who died in the line of duty; provides travel, lodging, and meals for immediate family members and includes special programs for families and co-workers.
• Fire Hero Family Network Peer support network that matches families of fallen firefighters with others who have experienced similar loss, providing emotional assistance and resource connections.
• Scholarship Program Educational financial assistance for spouses, life partners, children, and stepchildren (under age 30) of fallen firefighters honored at the National Memorial.
• Taking Care of Our Own Comprehensive pre-incident planning program providing extensive resources and support to help fire departments prepare for and handle line-of-duty deaths.
• Local Assistance State Team (LAST) Rapid response teams providing immediate and ongoing support to fire departments when a line-of-duty death occurs.
• Fire Hero Learning Network Online learning platform providing educational resources and training courses on community risk reduction, firefighter behavioral health, and LODD preparedness for fire service professionals and Fire Hero Families.
• Virtual Support Groups Online peer support options including Virtual Peer Support, Facilitated Support, and Remembrance Groups for Fire Hero Family members to share experiences and receive grief support.
• Hal Bruno Camps for Children Weekend-long camp providing grieving children of fallen firefighters honored at the National Memorial a safe space to share experiences with peers.
• Walk of Honor Bricks Personalized inscribed bricks that can be sponsored to honor fallen firefighters, featured throughout the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park.
• NFFF Fellowship Program Program providing scholarly mentorship, academic guidance, and applied research opportunities for emerging fire service leaders, conducted in partnership with Oklahoma State University.

Quantifiable outcome

• 204 firefighters honored annually at Memorial Weekend
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and general.

• Oklahoma State University (OSU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2026Three-year strategic partnership (MOU) to strengthen fire service leadership, expand applied research, and improve firefighter safety. OSU provides scholarly mentorship, applied research guidance, and micro-credentialing opportunities for NFFF Fellowship Program. Joint Firefighter Behaviors and Viewpoints Survey research.
• National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNFSA announced support for NFFF campaign to reopen National Fire Academy campus for Memorial Weekend 2026. Organizations urging Congress to restore access for families to visit the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial honoring 204 fallen firefighters.
• Pye-Barker Fire & SafetyflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresented partnership with The NASCAR Foundation, Pye-Barker Fire & Safety, and NFFF for Jimmie Johnson 'Helmet of Heroes' auction. Proceeds support NFFF's efforts to reduce firefighter line-of-duty deaths and injuries. Pye-Barker also hosted NFFF representatives at DAYTONA 500.
• The NASCAR FoundationflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with NFFF and Pye-Barker Fire & Safety for Jimmie Johnson Helmet of Heroes auction benefiting firefighter safety initiatives.
• LEGACY MOTOR CLUBmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration partner enabling Jimmie Johnson 'Helmet of Heroes' initiative. Hosted NFFF representatives during DAYTONA 500 race weekend.
• Pittsburgh PiratesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFirst Responders Series partnership at PNC Park September 1-3, 2026. Portion of ticket sales donated to NFFF. Special ticket package includes First Responders hat.
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIST supports work on national research agenda to prevent line-of-duty deaths and injuries in the fire service.
• Hubbard BroadcastinggeneralGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing generous support for NFFF mission and programs.
• Cintas Fire ProtectiongeneralGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting NFFF mission and fallen firefighter families.
• Whelen Engineering CompanygeneralGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting NFFF programs and mission.
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sponsor with aligned mission of fire prevention and safety. Partnership reinforces shared goals of reducing firefighter deaths.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC): IAFC represents fire chiefs and EMS leaders globally and offers leadership, training, and safety programs. It complements NFFF's training and advocacy work for fire-department leadership.
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): NFPA develops fire-safety codes and standards and runs extensive public education and training programs. It is a broad incumbent in the fire-service ecosystem and an existing NFFF partner with overlapping safety mission.

Direct peers

• Tunnel to Towers Foundation: Tunnel to Towers Foundation honors fallen first responders (including firefighters from 9/11) and provides mortgage-free homes to families of the fallen. It is a directly comparable fallen-first-responder memorial and family-support organization with similar donor base and corporate sponsor ecosystem.
• International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Charitable Foundation: The IAFF Charitable Foundation provides financial assistance, disaster relief, and bereavement support to firefighters and their families. It is the labor-union-affiliated counterpart to NFFF, serving a nearly identical beneficiary population.
• National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund: NLEOMF maintains the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., honors fallen officers, and supports officer families. It is the direct structural analog of NFFF for the law enforcement community.
• Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS): COPS provides peer support, grief resources, and survivor programs for families of fallen law enforcement officers, mirroring NFFF's Fire Hero Family Network and survivor peer-support mission.
• National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC): NVFC represents volunteer firefighters and provides training, safety, and LODD-prevention resources. It overlaps with NFFF in firefighter safety training and advocacy but focuses on the volunteer segment.
• Firefighters Charitable Foundation: Firefighters Charitable Foundation provides assistance to firefighters and their families in need, including LODD response support. It is a smaller-scale direct peer in the firefighter family assistance niche.
• First Responder Center of Excellence (FRCE): FRCE is an NFFF-affiliated sub-brand that addresses behavioral health and wellness for first responder families. It is a closely aligned direct peer focused on the behavioral health side of NFFF's mission.
• Gary Sinise Foundation: Gary Sinise Foundation supports wounded veterans, first responders, and their families through entertainment, outreach, and direct services. It is a comparable fallen/defenders service member family-support nonprofit with overlapping donor demographics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NFFF_News
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NFFFTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalFallenFirefightersFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-fallen-firefighters-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/fireheronfff
• Pinterestpinterest.com/FireHeroNFFF

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 National Fallen Firefighters Foundation