Resources for Families of Volunteer Responders
When someone joins the volunteer fire, emergency medical, or rescue services, it impacts the entire family. The following resources are available to provide information and support to family members of volunteer responders.
What to Expect: A Guide for New Fire Service Families (Second Edition)
Joining the volunteer fire service means a lifestyle change not only for the individual volunteer, but also for their entire family. To help family members navigate the volunteer fire service life, the NVFC has released this guide for spouses, children, parents, siblings, and significant others of volunteer and paid-on-call responders. It introduces family members to the basics of the volunteer firefighter life, provides guidance for keeping family relationships strong and being part of the fire department family, and contains an array of tips and resources to help first responder families adjust to this lifestyle.
Order up to 10 print copies of this guide in the NVFC store for just the cost of shipping, while supplies last.
Course: What to Expect – A Training for New Firefighter Families
Based off the NVFC’s What to Expect: A Guide for New Firefighter Families (Second Edition), this on-demand training in the NVFC Virtual Classroom is designed to help new fire and EMS recruits along with their family members make the adjustment to the volunteer fire service lifestyle.
Course: For Those Who Love a First Responder
Families can be a great source of support for fire, EMS, and rescue workers, so it is important they understand what their loved one is experiencing and how they can help. This course educates families and friends of first responders on the impacts of the job on mental health and what they can do to support their loved one. This course is available through the NVFC’s Virtual Classroom and is free to all for a limited time.
NVFC First Responder Helpline
This assistance program provides NVFC members and their household family members with immediate assistance in a crisis moment as well as confidential counseling, resources, and referrals to assistance for a range of issues, including:
- Stress management
- Depression
- Family conflict
- Anxiety
- Relationships
- Financial or legal concerns
- Substance misuse
- Grief or loss
- Problem gambling
- Child or elder care
Directory of Behavioral Health Professionals
First responders and their family members can utilize this directory to find local behavioral health professionals who understand the unique challenges presented by the emergency services. All providers have been vetted by the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA) and either have firsthand experience with the fire and emergency services or have completed a training course through the FBHA.
Family Engagement
Family members of volunteer responders may want to get more involved in the department. The NVFC offers three programs to help.
- Make Me A Firefighter – Help recruit new members to the department with this campaign that provides resources and tools for finding volunteers. This includes an opportunities database, customizable materials generator, ready-to-use outreach materials, and more.
- Fire Corps – Family members can help the department with non-operational tasks such as public education, administration, fundraising and grant-writing, incident preplanning, and much more.
- National Junior Firefighter Program – Children of emergency responders may wish to join the department as a junior member, gaining valuable experience, training, and life skills such as teamwork, responsibility, leadership, and more.
NVFC Member Benefits
Membership in the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) provides benefits for the entire family. These include:
- Access for the household family to utilize the NVFC First Responder Helpline
- An AD&D insurance policy
- Volunteer Voices online community
- Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund should your home be damaged in a state or federally declared disaster or home fire
- Discounts for the member, spouse, and dependents to attend Columbia Southern University, University of Maryland Global Campus, or Waldorf University
- Working Advantage discount program for savings on travel, entertainment, concerts and events, movie tickets, electronics, and more
Homes for Heroes Rewards Program
Volunteer responders and their families can save when purchasing, selling, or refinancing a home through Homes for Heroes. The Hero Rewards program also provides discounts, savings, and rewards on real estate transactions.
1st Tix
First responders can enjoy more positive family and life experiences through this program that provides free tickets to sporting events, concerts, performing arts, educational events, and other activities.
Frontline Worker Discounts
Many stores and companies offer discounts to first responders, including volunteer firefighters and EMS providers, which can benefit the whole family.
Chive Charities
First responders and their families can request a grant for medically related expenses that are not fully covered by insurance. This includes medical items, mobility items, and therapy items.
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has many resources for the families of first responders who have lost a loved one in the line of duty. These include guidance on benefits, scholarships, support groups, remembrance events, and more.
Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program
This program provides death and education benefits for survivors of fallen firefighters, law enforcement officers, and other first responders as well as disability benefits to those catastrophically injured in the line of duty.
