Charlotte Regional Fire Foundation

The support of the Charlotte Fire Department (CFD) and the community it serves through training and education is a major focus. This includes providing resources and training for the CFD Education Division, which reaches over 17,000 third grade students annually with a fire safety program. The Foundation supports the Charlotte Fire Department, a founding member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference, in the training of over 400 emergency service responders to be more understanding of the diverse community in which they work and live. The CFD Health and Safety Division supports mental wellness through K-9 programs, staffing 4 therapy dogs and their handlers, to provide assistance to over 1400 employees. Camp Ignite and Camp Hornets Nest are weeklong fire training programs for over 80 high school students with an interest in a fire service career. We also provide fire and life safety materials to over 200,000 event attendees each November.

The emotional stress on members of the fire service and their families is an issue combatted by every fire department in the U.S. To help with this issue, the Foundation supports the Charlotte Fire Department Ball which allows members of the fire department and their significant others an evening out to over 600 individuals. This past year, the Charlotte Fire Department responded to a traumatic event in which 4 law enforcement officers lost their lives. The Foundation provided a night out to over 30 CFD responders and their significant others to a minor league baseball game. An intense week long PTSD program operated by a psychiatrist out of Florida was provided to 5 Charlotte Fire members during 2024.