Programs

The NVFC administers several programs that address the needs of the fire and emergency services, from recruitment and retention to health and safety. Visit the program web sites to learn more.

Fire Corps

Fire Corps is a program under the federal Citizen Corps initiative that connects resource-constrained fire/EMS departments with community members to assist in non-emergency roles. This allows first responders to focus on training and operational duties while at the same time increasing the department's capacity and services.

Fire Corps members can assist with administration, fundraising, public fire prevention and life safety education, home safety checks and smoke alarm installation programs, apparatus maintenance, and much more. Fire Corps tasks are limited only by the needs of the department.

Resources available through Fire Corps include:

Free program registration
Program locator so potential volunteers can find a program and departments can learn about other programs
Fire Corps Academy, which provides training for departments and citizens who want to start or grow a local Fire Corps Program
State Advocate Network to assist local fire/EMS departments who are establishing or implementing a Fire Corps Program
Tools for implementing a Fire Corps program, including resource guides, toolkits, and sample documents
Tools for marketing a local program
Preparedness and fire prevention resources
Profiles of successful Fire Corps programs and exceptional volunteers and how they are helping their local communities
Fire Corps E-update, a monthly electronic newsletter

Learn more about Fire Corps at www.firecorps.org

Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program

Heart attack is the leading cause of on-duty firefighter fatalities, accounting for around half of all firefighter deaths each year. The NVFC launched the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program in 2003 to combat this alarming trend through education, awareness, and resources. The Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program promotes fitness, nutrition, and health awareness for all members of the fire and emergency services, both volunteer and career.

Resources available through the Program include:

Resources for starting and implementing a health and wellness program in your fire/EMS department
Trade show booth with free health screening and resources
Health and Wellness Advocate Workshop to train department personnel to start a department health program and motivate their fellow responders to focus on health and fitness
Behavioral Health Workshop addressing critical issues such as stress, time management, and alcohol abuse
Fired Up for Fitness Challenge, an interactive tool to motivate first responders to get active
Information on heart health, fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle choices
Heart-Healthy Firefighter E-news, a monthly electronic newsletter
National Firefighter Health Week, held each August to encourage the departments and personnel to focus on health and wellness topics especially critical to the fire and emergency services
Health and wellness challenges to help motivate your department
Interactive message board to connect with other first responders looking to become and stay heart healthy
Webinars to educate first responders about important health and wellness topics
Securing Sponsors for Department Health and Wellness Programs, a toolkit for finding funding to support a wellness program in your department
Heart-Healthy Firefighter Resource Guide
Heart Healthy Firefighter Cookbook
Success stories from first responders from across the country who have succeeded in getting heart healthy

Visit www.healthy-firefighter.org to find the resources and tools to keep you and your department heart strong and ready for the next call.

National Junior Firefighter Program

Getting youth involved in the fire and emergency services fosters the next generation of first responders and creates a network of community supporters of the emergency services. The NVFC National Junior Firefighter Program serves as an umbrella for junior firefighter programs nationwide to promote youth participation within the fire and emergency services community. The program is a powerful recruitment tool for departments and provides youth with valuable life skills such as teamwork, leadership, responsibility, and commitment.

The National Junior Firefighter Program provides fire/EMS departments with the resources, tools, and information to help develop, grow, enhance, and promote a local junior firefighter program. Youth can use the program to locate a local junior firefighter program, keep track of their hours of service, and find other resources as a youth participant in the fire and emergency services.

Learn more, register a program, and access resources at www.nvfc.org/juniors.

Put It Out

The NVFC, with support from Pfizer, launched the Put It Out campaign to help first responders quit smoking and stay quit. Smoking has proven negative health effects and can cause or contribute to life-threatening illnesses such as heart attack, lung cancer, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis. There are also significant threats to the health of those exposed to second-hand smoke. Helping firefighters lead a smoke-free life is a critical component to keeping first responders safe and healthy.

The Put It Out web site provides tools and resources for firefighters and emergency personnel who are ready to take the steps to stop smoking and lead a healthier, smoke-free lifestyle. The web site contains sections to assist individuals in quitting smoking, family members in supporting first responders who are quitting, departments in establishing a no-smoking policy and smoking cessation program, and state associations in encouraging their members to adopt a smoke-free lifestyle. Tools and resources include a ‘quit calendar,’ steps for how to quit, statistics and facts about smoking, sample documents such as press releases and no-smoking policies, outreach letters, motivational tools, and more.

Learn more and access all of the resources from the Put It Out campaign at www.healthy-firefighter.org/putitout.