KVFD has been given an opportunity to obtain new equipment through The Leary Firefighters Foundation. KVFD was informed that the foundation accepted KVFD's grant proposal in December 2021.

This grant is providing KVFD with new Thermal Imaging Equipment for the front-line apparatus as well as new gas meters for the apparatus and Ambulances.

The Leary Firefighters Foundation was established in 2000 by actor Denis Leary in response to a tragic fire in Worcester, Massachusetts that claimed the lives of his cousin, a childhood friend, and four other brave firefighters.

Dennis Leary -

"Firefighters never go on strike. As a result, they are often an easy target for government budget cuts.

This is where The Leary Firefighters Foundation steps in. We help these heroes by building state-of-the-art training facilities, buying cutting-edge vehicles and supplying modern technology and tools to firehouses and departments across the country

Such equipment not only saves the lives of these brave men and women but increases the odds that they can save ours.”

Some information on the The Leary Firefighters Foundation:

We have great news to report. For the first time ever, LFF is distributing over $1 million to firefighters across the country this year!

This was made possible by YOU, our Board members, corporate partners, donors, and our incredible community. We are beyond grateful.

It has been a very challenging two years for everyone, and we know first responders were hit hard. From budget cuts to staff shortages, to increased PPE purchases, fire departments across the country suffered. As an organization, we decided now was the moment to double down and step up for our firefighters and fund equipment, vehicles, education, training, and technology for as many departments across the US as possible.

This year’s awards will be granted to 72 departments in 34 states, benefitting 3,000 firefighters nationwide. Nearly 3 million people across the US will be served by these firefighters.

These are record breaking numbers for the Foundation. Seeing these metrics made us take a moment to look back at the growth you made happen in in the past five years from 2016 to 2021.

In 2016, we made 8 grants in 7 states, and distributed $125,000. Five years later we have increased our grant making eightfold.

Denis Leary is the actor from Rescue Me which showed FDNY and was a series that highlighted the life of a FDNY.