This story is a part of an ongoing series titled, “12 Days of Giving,” where we will highlight just a few of the many IAFF members supporting their communities this holiday season.
Over 70 years ago, San Francisco fire stations engaged in a friendly competition to identify the most festively decorated station during the holiday season. Although the contest was short-lived, Capt. Jonathan Baxter from San Francisco, CA Local 798 shares how they are sparking new life into this long-standing tradition.
Q: What prompted the revival of the tradition?
A: During the pandemic, we were looking for ways for our community to become engaged, reduce behavioral stress, and increase physical capabilities for our members and the community. We located a fire station competition going back to the 1940’s and thought we would revisit that to facilitate something that is outdoors for our members to engage in, which was compliant with the then COVID-19 pandemic orders. As we came out of the pandemic, we continued the competition because it was extremely popular and had turned into an outreach event encouraging the community to get involved with their local firehouse to meet their fire fighters and vice versa. This was beneficial as we had some of the stations host outdoor events where people would bring cookies, goods, and just hang out. The decoration portion was mostly for the community, as well as inspiring our fire fighters to do something fun. Some members would hold an off-duty event, where fire fighters would come in with their families and put up the decorations, and others did on duty. Either way, it’s a win-win situation. We are encouraging brotherhood and sisterhood.
Q: How does this tradition benefit the overall behavioral health of members?
A: Anyone who has been a fire fighter, or a public servant, knows the stressors of the job, and something that can separate you from work and normality, is a good thing. I personally looked over my career at an extremely busy fire station and being able to come back to the firehouse, jump on a ladder and help put up a wreath, holiday lights, or the holiday tree, and the sense of normality that gave me, and the weight off my shoulders, that’s the sense that we are instilling in our membership.
Q: How has the community reacted?
A: We heard back from members who have told us that simply having their neighbors come up and say, ‘Hey, this is so great,’ and ‘Thank you very much, giving that reassurance and validation of work, what our public servants do day-to-day is a huge benefit for their mental well-being.
Q: Where does the prize money go?
A: We combine this into a charity event, and this year, the winning firehouse will get $1,000, the second prize will also receive $1,000, and the third and fourth prize winners will receive $500. The proceeds will go to a charitable organization of the fire houses’ choice. The money we are winning is not going to just the firehouse.”
Q: Will you continue this effort next year?
A: We do it on a year-to-year basis. We have a fantastic donor, the San Francisco Credit Union, who facilitates providing the funds for the charitable donations that go to the winning stations. With each year, we’re seeing some new additions. This year, we are going to add a $500 prize for the best community event, so this is new, and the judges will be bussed around in a donated bus on Dec 22nd to look at the stations.
To learn more about the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Behavioral Health Program, visit the link here.
