S.A.V.E. PROGRAM
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
By Matt Anderson “3”
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A young family stands helplessly at the curb as
firefighters battle a blaze that has engulfed their
home. They are alive, but heartsick, as they
watch their life and memories go up in flames
before their eyes.
As first responders, firefighters are called upon to
provide comfort to such families. Since July 2018,
Supplying Aid to Victims of Emergencies (SAVE) has
allowed our personnel to help those victims take the
first step towards healing. Funded by the California
Fire Foundation through private donations, SAVE
lets incident commanders on scene of a disaster
offer immediate financial assistance to victims who
suffer a substantial property loss. Recently, the
amount of these gift cards has been raised from
$100 to $250.
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50 FIREWIRE • FALL 2019
Under the innovative program, all of the San
Bernardino County Fire battalion chiefs carry these
$250 MasterCard SAVE gift cards and distribute
them on incidents that threaten significant property
damage. If the property loss is judged to be greater
than 25 percent of total value, the battalion chief
is authorized to immediately issue a SAVE card to
the individual or family affected by the disaster. At
a time when victims may have lost credit cards, IDs
and other essentials, the SAVE card allows them to
purchase medicine, a hot meal, clothing or maybe a
place to stay the night.
The SAVE program was developed in partnership
with the California Fire Foundation, a 501(c)(3)
non-profit foundation dedicated to providing
comfort and support to fallen firefighter families
and the communities they protect. Funding for
the SAVE program is provided by donations to
the foundation and corporate sponsorships from
the Chevron corporation. The California Fire
Foundation continues to raise funds and seek
additional sponsorships to bring SAVE cards to
more communities and, eventually, increase the
face value of the cards.
This is a $100 SAVE card
ONE card aids approx.
3 victims per fire/disaster
Since 2014, over 20,000
meals have been purchased
with SAVE cards
Since 2014, over 55,000
emergency/basic supply
purchases have been
made with SAVE cards
Since 2014, over 15,000
victims have been
assisted through SAVE
SAVE serves over 28 million
residents, with participation
from over 75 California fire
departments and local unions
HELP GIVE A HAND
UP TO RECOVERY
SAVE is open to all professional California fire departments.
Participating departments must agree to a memorandum of
understanding, signed by both the fire chief and union president.
“As union members we are active in the communities we serve,”
says Local 935 president Jim Grigoli. “We support many charitable
groups and organizations through a portion of our union dues.
SAVE is one of these programs that gives your professional
firefighters an opportunities to give something back to those that
have suffered a tragedy or disaster.”
Matt Anderson 3 is the coordinator of the SAVE program and also serves
as a member of the Benevolent Board.
FALL 2019 • FIREWIRE 51