Wildland Firefighter Foundation

A forest fire can exceed temperatures of 1,400 degrees and move up to 20 mph. Despite this unfathomable calamity, every summer, brave men and women step up to battle these disasters. They are the wildland firefighters. It isn't an easy job, quite the opposite, as they sometimes live in the wilderness with little provisions other than their food and water. The mission – to control and defeat wildfires – is hazardous. But those who choose this line of work are certainly a different breed of person, and they are to be commended for their selfless service to their communities. They are called into action every summer when the peak fire season hits the western United States as the fires rage and exact horrendous damage to public and private lands. Homes are destroyed, pristine forests are lost, and unfortunately, lives are also lost, including wildland firefighters working the line. Thankfully, there is a refuge for the fallen families and those injured – the Wildland Firefighter Foundation (WFF).

After 14 firefighters perished in the Storm King fire in 1994, volunteers came together to assist the families in need. In 1999 the organization was officially founded and has provided emergency support services to the families of firefighters, seriously injured or those killed in the line of duty. Families left behind – many with young children – often find themselves with few resources, and that is where the Foundation steps in to help. Some of their programs include grief recovery, suicide prevention, and financial assistance. 

There doesn't seem to be a bigger safety net for these firefighters than the WFF. As their executive director, Burk Minor puts it, "The biggest identified need in the community is to take care of our firefighters immediately with no red tape to hold up the process." Those words were recently put into action when the Foundation sent financial assistance to firefighters in Arizona who lost their homes to the very fire they were deployed to repel. Through this support, the Foundation is able to help keep the men and women on the front lines to fight the fires. Actions do indeed speak louder than words. 

Anthem Snacks will run a silent auction to help this amazing organization and its mission, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation. Two outstanding veteran-owned companies, Fieldcraft Survival, and American Tomahawk, have graciously donated their products to support this event. 

Fieldcraft Survival's GEN 3 Mobility GO-BAG, along with the vehicle trauma response kit, is essential for anyone that understands the meaning of emergency preparedness. It acts as a modular seat panel pack that is secured to the back of a vehicle seat and has velcro pouches (included) in addition to the MOLLE system to attach accessories. It can also be removed from the seat back and used as a backpack. 

The American Tomahawk Model 2 is a robust hammer pull tomahawk with an aggressive 4.125" cutting edge. The straight handle makes it a well-balanced tool that offers incredible chopping, splitting, and carving capability. In addition to the sharpened main edge, the Model 2 has a true hammer at the back of the head, making it a great companion around camp. 

As the firefighters that brave the most inhospitable conditions in the wild can tell you, one never knows when nature will throw you a curveball. It is times like those that being prepared will be the difference between life and death.