FMFD has fundraising t-shirts for sale
The Fort Montgomery Fire Department is well-known for its fundraising and awareness efforts for other groups or issues — community events, breast cancer awareness and family pet safety for instance. Most years they do at least one t-shirt fundraiser for their favorite causes.
This year is no different. The department now has shirts on sale to raise money for Puppies Behind Bars, a group the members are specifically supporting because of the work it does to assist in efforts to reduce first responder PTSD, and to raise awareness for this significant problem in the United States.
“It is well known in the fire service that there are numerous risks to which we expose ourselves for the public good. However, there is a danger that is not often talked about in the emergency services field, that peril is known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Studies have shown that first responders are two times more likely than the general public to experience PTSD,” information put out by the FMFD reads. “This year, the FMFD is raising funds to break the stigma of silence against PTSD and let our community know that no first responder fights alone.”
Fifty percent of the proceeds of the shirt sales are going to Puppies Behind Bars, a non-profit New York based organization that breeds, raises and trains service dogs to assist military veterans and first responders since 2006.
“We feel that this is an extraordinary organization to share in our mission to bring awareness to this issue,” the FMFD members wrote.
They urge all to visit www.puppiesbehindbars.com for more information about that program, and they urge first responders to remember that “PTSD can affect anyone. If you, or anyone you know, are experiencing thoughts of self-harm or depression, reach out”. They suggest:
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
• Mental Health Association of Orange County Helpline at 1-800-832-1200
• Mobile Mental Health Team at 1-888-750-2266.
Shirt prices begin at $20 and can be obtained by emailing carriedonofny@yahoo.com or visiting the FMFD Facebook page.
