Crime & Safety

Friends of Firefighters: Supporting the Bravest Since 2001

The Red Hook based non-profit was founded in the days following September 11.

On September 11, 2001, millions of lives were forever changed. The lives of some people ended, sending family members, friends and the country into turmoil. The first responders on the scene, the FDNY, lost 343 members.

The firefighter community rallied in support of each other and their extended families and loved ones. And in the wake of the tragedy, Friends of Firefighters was founded because there was so much work to be done.

"We're here to help the firefighters and their families," said Nancy Carbone, Executive Director of Friends of Firefighters, a non-profit organization. "We want to provide a safe haven free of all conflict."

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Friends of Firefighters serves anywhere between 70 and 150 people a month at their headquarters in an old firehouse on Van Brunt Street in Red Hook, around the corner from the Red Hook Raiders firehouse, which lost many members on September 11. The services provided include counseling for firefighters and their families, talk therapy, biofeedback, massage, acupuncture and peer support group workshops.

After 9/11, it was clear that many firefighters were suffering from losing so many other members from their ranks, and needed an outlet where they could seek help, said Carbone.

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"What happens to the survivors," Carbone remembered thinking. "What happens when they start to die of cancer?"

In February, 2002, Friends of Firefighters opened in a store front on Columbia Street. They soon opened another store front four doors down, growing out of both spaces soon after. In May 2009, they moved to the old firehouse in Red Hook.

Firefighters depend on "firehouse culture," in which firefighters share a bond of camaraderie, and care and watch out for each other like they would their own families. Friends of Firefighters aims to emulate that culture, said Carbone, which is why the firefighting community has come to trust them.

"They depend on the culture, it helps them to do the job they do," she said. "They deal with horrific scenes, and then they have to process."

Making Friends of Firehouses a comfortable place, like a club house, is also important.

"I am thrilled with they come in and go straight to the fridge," said Carbone, a smile on her face.

Friends of Firefighters is funded by donations, and mostly advertises by word of mouth.

"It has to be word of mouth to carry credibility," said Carbone, adding that the Uniformed Firefighters Association disperses information about Friends of Firefighters too.

The job of a firefighter is extremely stressful, which is why counseling services are so important, said Carbone.

"Firefighters suffered a tremendous loss after 9/11," she said, adding that with every fire they fight, however, they must face the fact that it could be their last. 

They understand the risks, she said.

"It's a repetitive reminder."


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