IAFF Foundation

The IAFF Foundation, a 501c (3), tax-exempt, non-profit organization, supports and administers several charitable foundations that have been established for the purpose of providing charitable support fire fighters and their families in the United States and Canada in need of assistance following fires and other disasters, or line-of-duty death. The IAFF Foundation also promotes fire and burn prevention and aims to educate fire fighters, the public and other interested groups or individuals about how to prevent or cope with these events. 

Among the programs that the IAFF Foundation supports are:


The IAFF Burn Foundation is dedicated to fire prevention and burn awareness education, advocacy, burn research and improving the quality of life for burn survivors. Created in 1982, the Burn Foundation is one of the largest sources for burn research grants in the United States, and is the sponsor of the annual International Children’s Burn Camp, held each fall in Washington, DC.

The IAFF Disaster Relief Fund provides assistance to fire fighters and their families in the United States and Canada who suffer financial hardship and loss as the result of natural or man-made disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes or fires. This fund provides an immediate source of support to fire fighters and their families by providing incident command, food, water, shelter, clothing, medical supplies and services, behavioral health and counseling, building materials, transportation, evacuation and housing support. The impact of this fund was never more strongly felt than following the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005. Nearly $2 million was provided directly to fire fighters, emergency medical personnel and their families to rebuild their lives after these storms.

The IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial Foundation was established in 1976 and provides assistance to the surviving spouses and children of IAFF members killed in the line of duty. Each September, a memorial service is held at the site of the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial and Wall of Honor in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This observance honors the ultimate sacrifice made by the individuals who gave their lives in the line of duty in the previous year. Our goal is to protect the legacy of these fallen heroes and provide ongoing assistance to their loved ones.

The IAFF W.H. "Howie" McClennan Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance for higher education for children of professional fire fighters and emergency medical personnel killed in the line of duty. Currently, the IAFF provides scholarships for more than 25 students annually. In total, more than 300 scholarships have been awarded with $736,500 in assistance. Approximately 100 IAFF members are killed in the line of duty each year, however, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, brought that year’s total to more than 400.

The IAFF John P. Redmond Foundation supports research and education on the occupational hazards and diseases associated with fire fighting. The Redmond Foundation sponsors an international symposium every two years on the occupational health, safety and hazards of the fire service. This Redmond Symposium continues to evolve and respond to new threats by providing advanced training against terrorism and weapons of mass destruction in order to ensure IAFF members can safely and effectively protect our communities.