The FDNY has announced the launch of a joint summer blood donation campaign with the NYPD, according to the agency.
The campaign began with a launch event at FDNY Headquarters in Brooklyn on June 24, 2025.
The blood drive runs from June 23 to July 20 and is hosted at FDNY- and NYPD-sponsored events, community locations, and New York Blood Center (NYBC) donor centers.
The agency with the most donations will receive a prize from NYBC.
Donors will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes for a $500 e-gift card.
FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker said the need for donations this summer is acute.
He said: “There is a critical shortage of blood right now, and the FDNY and the NYPD are here to help. That’s what we do every day, and today is no different.”
He added: “We compete all the time on sports fields, but we work hand in glove in the streets to protect the public, and this is just another way that we can help with public safety.”
NYPD Chief of Department John Chell also spoke at the launch, noting that the competition is about impact, not recognition.
Chell said: “What we are competing for here today is not a trophy—it’s something far more important. It’s a cause, and it’s about making sure that when someone in New York City needs blood, there’s enough of it on the shelves to save their lives.”
He continued: “Every summer, hospitals see a rise in trauma cases and a drop in donations. That’s a gap we can’t afford, and that’s why we’re all in this effort together.”
According to the FDNY, the New York Blood Center declared a blood emergency on June 2, 2025.
This declaration followed a sustained decrease in donations across New York and New Jersey.
The blood emergency underscores the timing of the joint FDNY and NYPD campaign.
The New York Blood Center said the shortage coincides with a seasonal decline in public donations and an uptick in emergency demand.
It added that consistent participation across the population is needed to maintain safe supply levels.
Yadira Navarro, Director of Community and Stakeholder Relations at the New York Blood Center, said the campaign aims to increase public participation.
Navarro said: “We’re so very proud to partner with the FDNY and NYPD on this lifesaving campaign that, in the end regardless of the winner, will save countless lives this summer.”
She continued: “You may not know that more than 60% of the population is eligible to donate blood, but only 3% actually do.”
She added: “We need you now more than ever.”
The campaign seeks to raise awareness and drive action through incentives and visibility.
NYBC hopes this effort will increase the number of regular donors beyond the campaign window.
Donations can be made at FDNY- and NYPD-hosted blood drives.
They can also be given at New York Blood Center donor centers across the city and surrounding areas.
The full list of donation sites is available through NYBC.
The sweepstakes for a $500 e-gift card is open to all individuals who donate during the campaign.
The FDNY stated that every unit collected could help save up to three lives.
The FDNY launched a joint blood donation campaign with the NYPD on June 24, 2025.
The campaign runs through July 20 at locations across New York.
It was launched in response to a regional blood emergency declared by the New York Blood Center on June 2.
The emergency followed a significant drop in donations in New York and New Jersey.
FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker and NYPD Chief John Chell spoke at the launch event.
They highlighted the importance of maintaining adequate blood supplies during summer.
Yadira Navarro of NYBC said only 3% of eligible donors currently give blood.
The agency with the most collected units will receive a reward from NYBC.
All donors during the campaign will be entered into a $500 e-gift card sweepstakes.
Donations can be made at FDNY and NYPD blood drives and NYBC centers.
A single blood donation can benefit up to three people.
