While the Castle Rock fire was no doubt a tragedy, due to the outstanding safety record, the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, a group that supports injured firefighters and their families, did not need to intervene. Had there been any injuries or fatalities, WFF would have been the first to help. Families would be taken care of, travel arrangements would be made and the firefighters would be honored.
However, a tragedy free wildfire is not always the case.
In 1994, the Storm King Fire devastated Colorado and killed fourteen fire fighters. After the government’s slow response to this disaster Vicki Minor, a vendor to firefighters for over twenty years, was inspired to establish the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, deciding that it was time for someone to give back.
Based in Boise, the WFF’s mission states that it exists “to help families of firefighters killed in the line of duty and to assist injured firefighters and their families.” In other words, they are the agency in charge of ensuring that wildland firefighters and their families are properly taken care of.
This national foundation is in a sense the first responder for firefighters and their families when tragedy strikes. Given the amount of interagency overlap, with firefighters from the local, state and federal level, the government cannot handle every case. Thanks to Vicki Minor and the Wildland Firefighters Foundation, every hero can be taken care of.
For more information, visit www.wffoundation.org.
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