Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Vestavia Hills fire medic Chris Slavich hits the sled during the department’s bi-annual job task training at the Vestavia Hills and Rocky Ridge joint fire training facility on Oct. 11.
The Vestavia Hills Fire Department Foundation recently announced its establishment as a nonprofit initiative supporting the city’s firefighters, paramedics and other first responders.
Launched by the Vestavia Hills Sunrise Rotary Club, the foundation is designed to help first responders and their families in times of need and pay tribute to those who put their lives at risk every day to protect the residents of Vestavia Hills.
The organization will provide firefighters with financial support, emotional assistance and other resources.
The initiative was spearheaded by Steve Ammons, a former Vestavia Hills councilman and Jefferson County commissioner who now is CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance.
“The Vestavia Hills Sunrise Rotary Club is proud to initiate the Vestavia Hills Fire Department Foundation,” Ammon said in a written statement. “We recognize the incredible dedication and sacrifice of our firefighters and believe that by creating this foundation, we can make a meaningful difference in their lives and in the Vestavia Hills community as a whole.”
A longtime supporter of the Vestavia Hills police and fire departments, Ammons explained that the genesis of the foundation dates back to the First Responders Celebration event held each summer beginning in the 1990s.
Following his eight years on the City Council, Ammons was asked by then police Chief Danny Rary to assist with developing a benevolence fund for the Police Department, which led to the establishment of the Vestavia Hill Police Foundation.
The success of the police foundation caught the attention of Vestavia Hills fire Chief Marvin Green, who is a fellow Sunrise Rotary Club member. After several discussions about creating a benevolence fund for Vestavia firefighters and first responders, Green gave Ammons the go-ahead to get the project launched.
“He finally came to me a couple of months ago and said, ‘We’re ready to do it,’” Ammons said. “So I sat down on a Sunday afternoon and got everything developed and by Monday it was done, and a couple of weeks later we got the determination letter for the 501 [nonprofit] status.”
The foundation was launched with a $25,000 donation from an anonymous benefactor, as well as a $500 contribution from Ammons and his wife. Ammons added that the foundation is working to develop a fundraising strategy and other financial-control plans to ensure its long-term success.
Ammons is encouraging the 100-plus employees of the Vestavia Hills Fire Department to contribute to the foundation regularly to help a colleague if and when the time comes.
“The best part is that the firefighters get to choose whether they want to payroll deduct, so instead of passing the hat if they want to support maybe a future need that they may have or one of their sisters or brothers, they could go ahead and payroll deduct, and if it’s $10 a month that adds up,” Ammons said. “I calculated if every firefighter did $10 and all of them did it over a year, that is almost $26,000.”
For more information about the Vestavia Hills Fire Department Foundation, go online to vhfdf.org.
