Members of the House of Congress and the Senate have proposed the National Fallen Firefighters (NFFF) Memorial Coin Act to help strengthen the support given to families and colleagues of firefighters that have died in the line of duty.
A commemorative coin might sound like a symbolic gesture. But the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) says this legislation would make a tangible, life-altering difference. It would authorise the U.S. Treasury Department to mint coins with proceeds supporting the NFFF’s programs and initiatives, helping Americans whose sacrifices are felt every day.
“Grief doesn’t follow a schedule,” explains Victor Stagnaro, Chief Executive Officer of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. “Kids still grow up without a parent. Spouses still face birthdays, graduations, holidays, and quiet mornings alone. Within the firehouse, there’s a hole that can’t be filled — literally an empty space where someone used to hang their turnout gear, or sleep, or cook for their crew.”
The proceeds from the purchase of these commemorative coins will help the NFFF fund support for the families it serves and the support systems surrounding them. For example, $500,000 in college scholarships is awarded each year to the children and spouses of fallen firefighters, helping create opportunity in the wake of loss, as well as the long-term work of helping families navigate grief, connection, and what comes next.
“The families we serve need connection with others who understand what they’ve experienced,” adds Stagnaro. “They need access to counselling, peer support, scholarships, and programs that help them rebuild their lives.
“And the fire service needs the other side of that mission, too. Honouring the fallen means learning from every loss and doing everything possible to prevent the next one.”
The NFFF is now calling for more members of Congress to sponsor the act, saying: “Remembrance has to mean more than ceremony, statements, and news coverage.”
To make this a reality, two-thirds of members of the House and Senate need to join original cosponsors Congressman Andrew Garbarino (NY-2), Congresswoman Brittnay Pettersen (CO-7), and Senators Susan Collins (ME), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Lisa Murkowski (AK), and Gary Peters (MI).
The NFFF is inviting them to talk to the people directly affected by line-of-duty death, and recipients of the NFFF’s support in the weeks, months, and years afterward.
This year 204 fallen firefighters were added to the national memorial, each representing not only a life of service but a family still finding its way forward.
“We’re asking lawmakers to back the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Coin Act because it will make an impact, at home, for their constituents,” says Stagnaro.
“Let’s show the nation what we choose to stand behind. Sustained help for the families of fallen firefighters means just as much — if not more — than what we say in the first days after tragedy.”
