Every rescue boat.
Every thermal camera.
Every dollar, accounted for.
The boats
that saved lives.
When Hurricane Harvey flooded Houston, the Foundation’s donor-funded rescue boats were already in place. HFD firefighters used them to pull neighbors from second-floor windows. People who would not have made it out otherwise.
The same quiet logic applies to firefighter cancer. Job-related cancer kills more firefighters than fire itself. The Foundation has placed extractor machines in all 93 Houston stations, the single most effective intervention against carcinogens trapped in turnout gear.
Neither of these purchases made news. Both are why this Foundation exists.
What donor dollars actually bought.
A selection of recent equipment: the kind of tools HFD uses on scenes the city budget doesn’t fully cover.
Hurricane Harvey
Rescue Boats
Pre-positioned in every quadrant of the city, these boats pulled Houstonians from second-floor windows when the storm surge hit.
Multiple vendors
Extractor Machines
All 93 Stations
Industrial machines that remove carcinogens from turnout gear after every fire. Most cost-effective intervention against firefighter cancer.
Various suppliers
Thermal Cameras
28 Units Donated
Handheld cameras that let firefighters see through smoke to locate victims and hotspots. Cheniere Energy partnership.
Cheniere Energy + FFFH
50" Trailer-Mounted
Scene Fan
Industrial ventilation fan used in high-rise fires. Clears visibility and extracts heat to protect firefighters and occupants.
Cheniere Energy
Body-Worn
Cameras
Scene documentation for training, accountability, and community transparency. Deployed across multiple stations.
Motorola Solutions
Battery-Powered
High-Powered Fans
Latest-generation battery ventilation. No diesel, no cables, quick deployment at any scene. Cheniere Energy partnership continues.
Cheniere Energy
Every purchase. Every year.
The complete equipment ledger since 2006. Filter by year, category, or vendor. This page is the Foundation’s public record of trust.
| Year | Item | Category | Vendor | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Battery-Powered High-Powered Fans Latest-generation battery ventilation units | Ventilation | Cheniere Energy | $60,000 |
| 2024 | 50" Trailer-Mounted Scene Fan Industrial ventilation for high-rise fires | Scene Equipment | Cheniere Energy | $225,000 |
| 2024 | Body-Worn Cameras Scene documentation for training and transparency | Documentation | Motorola Solutions | $3,560 |
| 2023 | Chainsaws for Rescue Operations Multiple units, replacement cycle | Rescue Tools | Various | $1,700 |
| 2022 | Thermal Cameras (28 Units) Handheld units for smoke-filled environments | Thermal Imaging | Cheniere + FFFH | $82,000 |
| 2022 | Milwaukee Tower Lights Portable scene illumination | Scene Lighting | Milwaukee Tool | $500 |
| 2021 | Extractor Machines (Phase II) Cancer-prevention, multiple stations | Cancer Prevention | Various | $62,000 |
| 2020 | Extractor Machines (Phase I) Initial deployment, primary stations | Cancer Prevention | Various | $124,000 |
| 2019 | Hydraulic Rescue Tools Jaws of Life replacement cycle | Rescue Tools | Hurst Jaws of Life | $38,500 |
| 2017 | Hurricane Harvey Rescue Boats Pre-positioned in every quadrant of the city | Water Rescue | Multiple | $145,000 |
| 2015 | Radio Communication Upgrade Station-wide equipment refresh | Communications | Motorola | $76,200 |
| 2012 | SCBA Air Compressor System Breathing apparatus support | Breathing Apparatus | Bauer Compressors | $48,900 |
| No purchases recorded in this range yet. | ||||
Twenty years of showing up.
Foundation founded
The Fire Fighters Foundation of Houston is established as the first foundation in Houston to provide non-governmental funding to firefighters. Recognized as the Charity of the Houston Fire Department.
Hurricane Harvey
Donor-funded rescue boats deployed across the city pull residents from flooded homes. Foundation responds by expanding coverage. Every quadrant of Houston now has donor-funded rescue capability.
Cancer prevention campaign begins
The Foundation launches a multi-year campaign to place industrial extractor machines in every HFD station. ExxonMobil contributes $100K+ during COVID-19.
Cheniere Energy partnership begins
28 thermal imaging cameras donated to the HFD training facility in partnership with Cheniere Energy, marking the start of one of the Foundation’s most durable corporate partnerships.
All 93 stations equipped
The Foundation reaches a milestone: every HFD fire station now has a cancer-prevention extractor. The single most effective intervention against firefighter cancer, delivered citywide.
Twenty years in, the work continues
The Foundation enters its third decade with $3.29M in cumulative HFD support, the launch of Friends of Houston Firefighters corporate program, and a board of volunteer Houston executives still giving their time.
Be part of the next twenty years.
Every gift gets itemized in this ledger. Every donor sees exactly what their money bought. That’s how the Foundation has earned twenty years of trust, and how it plans to earn twenty more.
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