This is from the Friends of Firefighters.

I wanted to draw your attention to this important petition that I
recently signed:

"Firehouses are for Firefighters"
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/firehousesforfirefighters?e

I really think this is an important cause, and I'd like to encourage
you to add your signature, too. It's free and takes less than a minute of
your time.

Thanks!

http://www.friendsoffirefighters.org/website_j/component/option,com...


Friends of Firefighters operates out of two separate storefronts in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Daily operations and clinical counseling are run out of the original office at 159 ½ Columbia Street. Peer support services, including a monthly peer breakfast; wellness services; and staff trainings are provided at our Peer Center four doors down.

Before the Peer Center was opened in 2005, it had become apparent that the organization was growing and needed to expand into a second space in order to maintain client confidentiality and continued quality service. The addition of the Peer Center allowed Friends of Firefighters to continue the long-standing firehouse philosophy of “What you say here stays here” without compromise.

Now a year and a half after opening the Peer Center, we have seen a 75% increase in direct services, and realize that another expansion is necessary. Consolidating the two spaces into one would be the most ideal. When talk of the decommissioned firehouse, Engine Company 204 on Degraw Street, surfaced in the news again, it ignited a thought among staff that perhaps we have found the perfect solution. Not only can we consolidate the two offices, giving us the space and the privacy we need to deliver the services to FDNY members and their families in a professional and confidential manner, but we can do it in a familiar setting making it that much more beneficial to the people we serve.

Since our current offices are not conducive to groups of more than eight, Friends of Firefighters rents additional space for monthly workshops and trainings. We would like to increase these services, but are limited due to these space constraints.

**Please take the time to sign the petition. I just talked with the director, they really need them. Send them to all your Friends. Post it on on your websites. **

Friends of Firefighters, Inc. (FoF) is a New York City not-for-profit corporation that began as a community-based response to the events of September 11, 2001. Our preliminary efforts focused on providing immediate practical support to the firefighters and their families in the New York City area.

While the group's initial response revolved around the most critical needs of individuals affected by the events of 9/11, the mission of Friends of Firefighters has evolved and expanded in the years since. In addition to providing services in-house, FoF acts as a means of linking members of the firefighting community with other programs, making those programs more successful in reaching and helping those in need. Friends of Firefighters remains the only organization serving the firefighting community in this manner.


The organization offers individual, marriage and family counseling through partnerships with established national and regional associations. We also coordinate much-needed wellness trips and special events for firefighters and their families to enjoy. Our resource center, located in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, serves as a central meeting spot for firefighters to relax, receive counseling, exchange information and access a wide array of services specific to their needs.