Funding Initiatives
Funds raised provide our fire-rescue personnel with the essential equipment and resources needed to stay safe and ready to respond.
Why Your Support Matters
The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department allocates approximately 85% of its budget to salaries and benefits, leaving only 15% for essential equipment, new technology, training, community outreach, and recruitment programs. This limited funding creates gaps in resources for everyday incidents and specialty units like Urban Search & Rescue, Air Operations, and Youth Development.
To address these unmet needs, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation collaborates with SDFD leadership to identify priorities and provide a way for the community to help. Donated funds ensure fire-rescue personnel have the necessary tools and resources to stay protected and prepared, ultimately enhancing public safety across San Diego.
Current Funding Initiatives
Health & Wellness Center
The San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) partnership is crucial amid recent City budget cuts. As public funds decline, the Foundation’s support is indispensable for realizing the groundbreaking Health & Safety Wellness Center. This innovative facility, one of the first of its kind nationally, underscores our commitment to the holistic well-being of our firefighting and lifeguard professionals.
- Comprehensive Services: The Health & Safety Wellness Center caters specifically to first responders’ unique health and safety needs. Services include gold-standard physical wellness exams, personalized injury rehabilitation, and prevention programs led by licensed professionals. Regular cancer and cardiac screenings ensure early detection, minimizing downtime and maximizing readiness.
- Nutrition and Education: The center will feature a commercial-grade kitchen and offer nutrition classes and cooking demonstrations to optimize first responder health. Proper nutrition helps reduce cardiovascular disease, aids cancer prevention, and enhances performance and recovery.
- Collaborative Spaces: The spacious conference and training rooms foster community and professional development. From workshops to peer support networks, these spaces promote unity across the San Diego fire-rescue community.
- Cost-Effective Investment: SDFD will reduce industrial leave and overtime costs by prioritizing prevention and early intervention, ensuring resources for critical city services.
- Enhancing Public Safety: The SDFD Health & Safety Wellness Center will empower our fire-rescue personnel to perform at their best, enhancing public safety and operational efficiency. By safeguarding their health, we minimize time lost to illness or injury, delivering significant cost savings and ensuring readiness.
Other Funding Initiatives Include
Fire-rescue personnel are indispensable in maintaining public safety. Despite facing budget cuts from the city government, these dedicated teams persist in delivering essential services. However, the current economic climate often denies them access to specialized equipment and training, which could enhance their safety and effectiveness when responding to emergencies.
- Community Outreach and Education Program
- Health & Safety Division
- Girls Empowerment Camp
- Fire Station Enhancements
Mt. Soledad Dorm Remodel
Led by local residents and Rotary Clubs, the community is coming together to create a space that is healthier for those who protect us.
- Firefighters work 24-hour shifts. Sleep is not a luxury; it’s a lifesaving necessity.
- Current dorm conditions make it hard to rest and recover between calls.
- Sleep deprivation is linked to serious health and safety issues, including heart attacks, increased cancer risk, mental health problems, and impaired cognitive function.
Checks, made payable to the
San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation, can be mailed to:
San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation
Attn: Mt. Soledad Dorm Remodel
9325 Sky Park Court, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92123