(ATLANTA, June 29, 2023) – Today at a ceremonial signing by The Honorable Mayor Andre Dickens, $1.66M was donated by members of Atlanta City Council to the Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation (AFRF) in support of infrastructure improvements to fire stations. This is the largest donation in the history of AFRF, the nonprofit organization founded in 2004, and whose mission is to support Atlanta firefighters and enhance public safety by funding workforce initiatives, diversity programs, and essential equipment while ensuring resource equity to meet the needs of each community and its neighborhoods. The donation of discretionary dollars by Atlanta City Council was passed unanimously on April 17th. The donation allows for significant investment in improvements and upgrades to fire stations of Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD). The ceremonial signing was held at 10am at Atlanta Fire Rescue Station 10, 447 Boulevard, SE, Atlanta, 30316. In attendance were The Honorable Mayor Andre Dickens, members of Atlanta City Council, Fire Chief Roderick M. Smith, AFRD, and Shirley Anne Smith, President & CEO, AFRF. A complete copy of the legislation can be found here.
“This is a great day for the City of Atlanta and for the City of Atlanta firefighters and EMTs,” said Shirley Anne Smith, President & CEO, Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation. “Mayor Dickens and Fire Chief Smith have committed to working for the city as a group project with the vision to move the City of Atlanta forward. Our group project was to ensure that Atlanta’s fire stations represent the essence, history, culture, beauty, and soul of each community and neighborhood throughout the City of Atlanta. Today, we turned in that group project.”
Today is historic for our city and AFRD as it is the first time that the Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation has received municipal funding to support our fire rescue station renovations, remodels, and repairs,” said Roderick M. Smith, Fire Chief, Atlanta Fire Rescue Department. “The $1.66M allows us to make significant investments in our stations and the communities where they are located. Thank you to the leadership of Councilmember Matt Westmoreland for sponsoring this legislation.”
“Atlanta’s Fire Rescue Stations are at the heart of Atlanta’s neighborhoods and emergency response ecosystem,” said Taos Wynn, Chief Operating Officer, AFRF. “This is one of the reasons why today’s legislation in support of upgrades and station improvements is so critical. With that said, although today is a momentous occasion, it is also only the beginning of what we see as a transformative future for the Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation to better serve the men and women of AFRD - Atlanta’s Bravest.”
About the Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation
The Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation (AFRF) is the only nonprofit funding agency that supports the critical and otherwise unmet needs of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD). The Foundation provides a platform for citizens, individuals, and businesses to give in support of AFRD’s mission to keep Atlanta safe. The Foundation is also an opportunity to become engaged in the communities where the 36 AFRD stations live and serve. As the city’s budget is primarily committed to covering firefighter salaries and benefits, the Foundation provides the gap funding necessary to maintain a world-class fire and rescue institution. Support for the Foundation means being a responder for the first responders. https://atlfrf.org
About Atlanta Fire Rescue Department
The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD) provides an all-hazards approach in the protection of the lives and property of the residents, businesses, and visitors of Atlanta, Georgia. The department comprises five divisions of labor: Support Services, Field Operations, Emergency Medical Services, Technical Services, and the Airport Fire. AFRD is one of only nineteen departments in the country to be accredited by the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), as well as maintain an Insurance Service Office (ISO) Rating of Class 1. https://www.atlantafirerescue.com
