Dear Members of MyFirefighterNation,  

Thank you very much for a few moments of your time.  I am a new member of the MyFirefighterNation community.  My name is Steve Cohen, my company is called Lighthouse Uniform Company and my business for the last 40 + years has been to make sure every firefighter has what they need when the time comes to dress up.  You might know us as the Fallen Fire Fighter Dress Uniform Program people.

The reason for this note: Make you aware of the Bereavement Uniform Program (BUP), a joint effort between the Lighthouse Uniform Company and America’s Fire Service with a shared goal of making a dress uniform for burial purposes available to any firefighter family wanting one, at no cost to the family.   

The concept is pretty simple: Departments and individuals with surplus dress uniforms send them to the Lighthouse. The Lighthouse cleans, refurbishes, reconfigures to rank and makes them available to any family requesting one for burial purposes, at ‘no cost’ to the family.  The only charge is for freight which will be billed to the affiliated department. 

The easy request: Take a look at the new Bereavement Uniform Program video very generously produced for the BUP by Martin Grube and the folks at FireRescue TV and if you want to help in this effort to recognize and honor the service of every ‘passing’ firefighter, share this video through your networks.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAEangVKRJs&feature=youtu.be  

The ballsy request: Find out more and get involved in helping introduce the program to your department.  A playbook has been developed to help with the introduction.  We call it the BUP Manual – The Next Step.  Drop me an email and I will send you the link.

That’s it.  Thank you very much.  I hope you decide to join the effort to strengthen the bonds between the incoming and outgoing generation of firefighters and to help raise the level and manner in which America’s Fire Service ‘takes care of its own’.

Best wishes for a wonderful, family filled holiday.

Steve Cohen, Pres.

Lighthouse Uniform Company

Home of the Bereavement Uniform Program

steve@lighthouseuniform.com