What Jackson Hole Fire/EMS does

The Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 88-4291644) based in Jackson, Wyoming, that exists to fundraise, advocate, and run support programs for the Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Department. The Department itself, with roots dating to 1936 and formed in its current combined form through the 2004 merger of Teton County EMS with the Fire Department, operates 7 stations across 4,200 square miles of Teton County with a 123-member team of career staff, volunteers, medical directors, and command officers; 87 of these personnel hold Red Card wildland qualifications, making JH Fire/EMS the largest wildland fire crew in Teton County. The Foundation does not sell a commercial product; instead, it delivers five structured programs — Recruitment and Retention, Housing Assistance, Fallen Firefighters Fund, Community Engagement, and Enhancing Team Performance — that channel donations, sponsorships, and event proceeds into firefighter housing, advanced training (FDIC, EMS World conferences), physical fitness reimbursements, peer support, family/dependent scholarships, and equipment.

The Foundation's revenue model is entirely donation-based, accepting one-time and recurring contributions (suggested tiers of $20, $50, $100, $200 on weekly/monthly/yearly cadences) through its website donation portal, plus event-based fundraising (Wilson Chicken Fry, Hoback BBQ, Moran BBQ, Old Bill's Fun Run, 9/11 Memorial, Fireman's Brawl hockey game) and corporate/training-meal sponsorships. Distribution is regional and community-led, with marketing concentrated on the website, Instagram (@jhfireemsfoundation), email newsletters, and earned media in Buckrail, JH News&Guide, and Wyoming Public Media. On the technology side, the Department has deployed three AI-powered wildfire detection cameras (anomaly detection on image/video feeds) to enable early smoke/fire identification, and the fleet includes 4 Type 6 brush trucks plus a Type 3 pumper engine. In April 2024, the Foundation hired its first Executive Director, Dwayne Meadows, signaling a transition from an all-volunteer support body to a professionally staffed fundraising entity.

Name

Jackson Hole Fire/EMS

Legal name

Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Foundation

Website

https://jhfireems.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises donations, sponsorships, and event proceeds to fund five support programs — housing, training, wellness, fallen firefighter aid, and recruitment/retention — for the 123-member Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Department serving 4,200 square miles in Teton County, Wyoming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Safety Nonprofit Support

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF)

Keywords

• Emergency services support
• Fire protection fundraising
• First responder nonprofit
• Wildland firefighting
• Community donor programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Jackson

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations: The Foundation raises funds through one-time and recurring donations from community members, local businesses, and supporters. Donation options include one-time, weekly, monthly, and yearly frequencies with suggested amounts of $20, $50, $100, $200, or custom amounts.
2. Event Fundraising: The Foundation organizes and hosts community events including the Wilson Chicken Fry, Hoback BBQ, Moran BBQ, Old Bill's Fun Run, 9/11 Memorial Events, and Fireman's Brawl hockey game. Proceeds from these events support advanced training, volunteer and career incentives, and the Fallen Firefighters Fund.
3. Sponsorships: Local restaurants and catering operations can sponsor training meals for Fire/EMS members. Corporate sponsors support specific programs and events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) fundraising organization that raises money through community donations, event proceeds, and corporate sponsorships to support the Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Department. It funds five programs—Recruitment and Retention, Housing Assistance, Fallen Firefighters Fund, Community Engagement, and Enhancing Team Performance—that together address member welfare, training, equipment, and community preparedness across 4,200 square miles of Teton County.

Product overview

Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Foundation operates as a nonprofit organization supporting the Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Department through five distinct support programs: the Recruitment and Retention Program (recognizing service and supporting recruitment through awards and events), Housing Assistance Program (constructing and subsidizing firefighter housing), Fallen Firefighters Fund (providing financial support for injured or fallen personnel and families), Community Engagement Program (connecting with citizens through events and communications), and Enhancing Team Performance Program (supporting fitness, training, and professional development). The Foundation does not offer a technology product but rather provides charitable programs and fundraising to support the emergency response operations of the Fire/EMS Department across 4,200 square miles in Teton County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recruitment and Retention Program A Foundation program that recognizes service, builds camaraderie, and supports recruitment through awards, social uniforms, and team activities including an annual banquet with service awards and retiring member plaques for Jackson Hole Fire/EMS members.
• Housing Assistance Program A Foundation program that raises funds to construct housing, assist with affordability burden, and advocate to ease the housing costs of Jackson Hole Fire/EMS members, helping them live near where they work.
• Fallen Firefighters Fund A Foundation fund administered to ensure Fire/EMS personnel do not suffer undue financial hardship from injury, illness or death from service, covering medical treatment, mental health support, home modifications, lost wages, funeral expenses, and educational scholarships for dependents.
• Community Engagement Program A Foundation program that expands connection with Teton County citizens through social media, newsletters, website, and participation in community events including Fireman's Brawl, Wilson Chicken Fry, Hoback BBQ, Moran BBQ, and 9/11 Memorial events.
• Enhancing Team Performance Program A Foundation program that helps Jackson Hole Fire/EMS members meet physical fitness requirements through reimbursements, Teton Interagency Peer Support donations, training meals, and specialized training support including conference attendance and certification programs.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Teton Area Wildfire Protection Coalition (TAWPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation provides financial contributions to TAWPC to help expand community education and wildfire preparedness efforts. TAWPC works with homeowners and neighborhoods throughout Teton County to reduce wildfire risk through defensible space education, home hardening strategies, and community outreach.
• Teton County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation works with Teton County to build member housing and relieve housing pressure. In 2022, Teton County voters approved a $15 million SPET initiative to design and rebuild Hoback Station 3 and Wilson Station 2, with the Foundation planning a capital campaign for housing components.
• Bridger-Teton National ForestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJH Fire/EMS joins interagency crews with Bridger-Teton National Forest on wildfire incidents. The Department participated in pile burns with BTNF crews and responded to the Spread Creek Fire as part of coordinated wildfire response.
• Grand Teton National ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for coordinated emergency response and training. Grand Teton National Park personnel participate in JH Fire/EMS training programs and emergency responses including aircraft crash simulations.
• Sublette County Unified FireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partnership with Sublette County Unified Fire. One student from Sublette County participated in the Advanced EMT program alongside JH Fire/EMS members.
• Driggs Fire DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContract partnership where Driggs Fire Department responds to all fire calls in Alta, Wyoming since 1991, covering Station 5 which has an empty apparatus bay.
• Station Associations (Wilson, Hoback, Moran)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation works closely with volunteer firefighter associations at Wilson, Hoback, and Moran stations for community events including Fireman's Brawl, Chicken Fry, and various BBQs.
• Jackson Hole AirportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJH Fire/EMS conducts full-scale training exercises with Jackson Hole Airport including simulated aircraft crash scenarios for emergency response readiness.
• U.S. Wildland Fire ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJH Fire/EMS Foundation Board Member Mack McFarland serves as Wildland Safety Program Manager for U.S. Wildland Fire Service while also serving as Captain at Moran Station 4.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• IAFF Charitable Foundation: Charitable arm of the International Association of Fire Fighters. Comparable as a labor-affiliated first-responder support organization, though national in scope and union-aligned versus JH Foundation's department-specific community model.
• Firefighters Charitable Foundation: National 501(c)(3) supporting fire departments and burn victims with grants for equipment, training, and member/family assistance. Comparable program architecture (training, equipment, member/family support) and comparable donor-funded grantmaking model.
• National Fallen Firefighters Foundation: National nonprofit supporting fallen firefighters and their families. Directly comparable to the Foundation's Fallen Firefighters Fund program; both serve the same end beneficiary population (fire service families) and run national/local donor networks.
• Cal Fire Foundation: Statewide nonprofit supporting California's state fire agency and its members through programs analogous to the JH Foundation's housing, training, and fallen-member support. Comparable structure: a 501(c)(3) foundation standing up programs on behalf of a public fire agency.

Direct peers

• Wildland Firefighter Foundation: National nonprofit specifically supporting wildland firefighters and their families. Highly comparable given JH Fire/EMS's 87-person Red-Card wildland crew is the largest in Teton County; both organizations fund wildland-specific member support.
• Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center Foundation: Wyoming-based nonprofit supporting backcountry safety operations and its responders. The JH Foundation's new ED Dwayne Meadows was previously its Executive Director — making this the most directly comparable peer in mission (responder support foundation), geography, and leadership lineage.
• Bend Firefighters Foundation: Local community-supported foundation funding programs for a fire department in a high-cost, recreation-heavy Oregon mountain town. Strongest direct peer: similar donor base (resort-town residents/visitors), similar program mix (training, equipment, member support), and similar fundraising events.

Others

• National Volunteer Fire Council: National membership organization representing volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services. Not a direct fundraiser, but a comparable peer in the volunteer-first-responder ecosystem and a potential partner/funder for the Foundation's recruitment and retention work.

Emerging players

• First Responders Children's Foundation: National nonprofit providing scholarships and financial support to children of first responders. Overlaps with the Foundation's Fallen Firefighters Fund education-scholarship component, though focused on a narrower beneficiary group.

Regional players

• Teton Community Foundation: Community foundation serving the same Teton County, Wyoming geography. Comparable as a place-based, donation-funded grantmaking entity, though broader in scope (arts, education, environment) rather than focused on Fire/EMS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/jhfireemsfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jackson-hole-fire-ems

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Jackson Hole Fire/EMS