International Firefighters’ Day is observed each year on May 4. Born out of a tragic loss of five firefighters in a wildfire in Victoria, Australia, this day was created to honor their lives, as well as firefighters around the world.
This International Firefighters’ Day, we recognize and honor the sacrifices firefighters make across the globe, and especially those here at home in Minnesota, to ensure their communities are safe. Thank you for all you do!
We also want to honor the firefighters who have been lost in the line of duty or passed on before us – many due to the occupational hazards of cardiovascular disease, suicide and cancer.
We value the work and contributions our volunteer and career firefighters dedicate to our communities every day. As we reflect on that, we know investing in their health and well-being is a moral imperative!
In Minnesota, we can show our support and appreciation to firefighters at home by making sure they have all of the physical and mental health resources they need to prioritize and protect their health, and prevent and/or tackle cardiovascular disease, emotional trauma and cancer.
Thankfully, the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program is now here to provide free resources for all of Minnesota’s active firefighters – volunteer, paid-on-call, part-time and full-time. These vital resources include:
- The MnFIRE Assistance Program, offering expanded emotional trauma resources for firefighters and their families, including five counseling visits a year and peer support.
- An up-to-$20,000 Critical Illness insurance policy which covers diagnoses of cancer, cardiac and other critical illnesses.
- Ongoing health and wellness training on the different health risks facing firefighters.
We invite you to honor and support your local firefighters today by making sure they’re aware of these important – and completely free – health resources.
