From left -- FM Jon Bullock, MT David Busch, School Superintendent Dr. Peter Noonan and Capt. Peter Rhoads. Photo contributed
The City of Fairfax Firefighters, IAFF Local 2702, the City of Fairfax Fire Department and the City of Fairfax School Superintendent Dr. Peter Noonan, teamed up to provide brand-new winter coats to over 50 children at Daniels Run and Providence elementary schools in partnership with Operation Warm, a national non-profit dedicated to warming the hearts, minds and bodies of children in need. The collaborative, community-based program has impact far beyond the City of Fairfax. Firefighters across the USA and Canada are bringing this program to the communities they protect. Firefighters for Operation Warm is a movement led by professional firefighters to combat the effects of childhood poverty.
“With our poverty levels increasing, our children and schools benefit from this program in more ways than one,” said David Busch, Vice President, Local 2702. “By nature of our service to the community, we’re able to see the harsh effects poverty has on these children first hand.” City of Fairfax Firefighters will go to each school to help personally fit each child with a new coat, and helping them to write their name in the interior tag which reads, “Made Just for You.” With monetary support from the community, the firefighters are able to give the gift of warmth to these children right before the harsh winter weather.
Specifically for the Firefighters program, Operation Warm has manufactured 90,000 American-made coats, supporting over 200 jobs. “This is so much more than a coat,” said Walter English, President, Local 2702. “Beyond warmth and dignity for children, American coat production targets a root cause of poverty for so many families.”
Donate to City of Fairfax Firefighters for Operation Warm: www.operationwarm.org/fairfaxcity