From Denis Leary
Dear Friend,
As President of The Leary Firefighters Foundation, I have spent the last ten years talking about how we take firefighters for granted. We all know that there is never enough money to get them the equipment and training that they need.
But here’s the thing about firefighters.
They do their job because they care about us and they care about keeping their communities safe. Regardless of what kind of equipment they are working with or what kind of training they have, firefighters will always make do.
The mission of The Leary Firefighters Foundation is to bridge the gap in public funding so that firefighters have the best available equipment and training to meet the extraordinary challenges of a very dangerous job.
Since the Foundation was established in 2000, we have committed more than $10 million to crucial programs for fire departments in New York, Boston, Worcester, Massachusetts, and New Orleans. Last year we celebrated the fruition of two long range projects: the High Rise Training Simulator for the FDNY Fire Academy on Randall’s Island and the New Orleans Restoration Project completion.
The state-of-the-art High Rise Training Simulator is designed to produce real-life fire and building conditions to help firefighters improve their skills in combating the difficulties of fighting fires in high-rise buildings and performing rescues under extreme conditions. Since its dedication in March 2009, many firehouses have utilized the simulator and the practical skills learned have helped build both firefighter knowledge and confidence. This simulator is an important tool in addressing the safety of both civilians and rescue personnel.
Also in 2009 The Foundation realized a goal envisioned in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Following a donation of 14 search and rescue boats to the New Orleans Fire Department, The Leary Firefighters Foundation made a commitment to restore 11 firehouses rendered uninhabitable. This milestone in the rebuilding of New Orleans was accomplished using volunteer union labor, construction material donations, and corporate support. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, firefighters are now out of trailers and back in the firehouses, resulting in both improved morale and fire response time.
At the heart of all the Leary Foundation’s initiatives is the desire to give firefighters a better chance of returning home to their families at the end of the day, and to ensure that each one of us and our loved ones will be more likely to survive a life-threatening fire.
I thank you for your interest in The Leary Firefighters Foundation and invite you to explore this website to learn more about supporting the Foundation’s important work.
Denis Leary
President