Showing Up For Those Who Show Up.
When disasters damage stations and destroy equipment, we help emergency responders recover and continue serving their communities.
Across the country, small and rural emergency service agencies are expected to respond during disasters — even when their own stations, equipment, and personnel are impacted. Cares for Responders exists to support those agencies with practical assistance when resources are stretched thin and recovery becomes difficult.
Cares for Responders began before it was ever even a program in December of 2021 in Mayfield, Graves County, Kentucky. When a deadly tornado tracked through the city of Mayfield, it destroyed the Mayfield-Graves County Fire & Rescue station, destroying the station, apparatus and equipment. DeWeather organized the donation of a fully equipped fire engine, and additional PPE, tools, gear and equipment.
After hearing about Mayfield-Graves Fire & Rescue devastating experience and DeWeather's efforts to help replace lost vehicles and equipment, Penn Forest Volunteer Fire Company #2 in Penn Forest Township, Carbon County, PA offered their Seagraves engine - that they had for sale. A trucking company in nearby Lehigh County, PA offered to haul the Engine to Kentucky.
Structural & wildland: Gloves, helmets, turnout gear, boots, goggles, etc.
Hand tools, hand lights, TICs, scene lighting, tarps, fuel cans, chainsaws, K12 saws, etc.
Hydraulic, battery-powered, combination, Pneumatic, Stabilization, etc.
water rescue, ice rescue, dive rescue, trench rescue, collapse, dry suits, throw bags, etc.
Fire, EMS, law enforcement, wildland, structural, command, boats, rafts, etc.
Who We Help
When disasters strike, the agencies responding to help others are sometimes impacted themselves.
Cares for Responders supports fire departments, EMS, law enforcement, and emergency management agencies impacted by disasters, helping them recover, rebuild, and continue serving their communities.
We place special emphasis on small, rural, and underserved agencies that often do extraordinary work with limited resources and without the recognition, funding, or support more often available to larger departments.
Real Impact.
How You Can Help.
New or useable used equipment, gear, etc.
Picking up, sorting, packing and/or storing.
