Firefighter Support

The Fire Dept. Coffee Foundation is honored to show our support for the Firefighter Cancer Support Network with a donation of $5,000 to help continue its incredible work.

Alex Bourque went to the orthopedist for knee pain. Maybe a strained ligament, he thought. The actual diagnosis strained his entire world. Cancer? It seemed impossible. He was 25 years old. He fought fires for a living and came home to his young family — a wife and a 3-year-old son and another baby boy on the way.

As firefighters, our job is to look out for everyone else, to make sure they are safe and protected and to be there when emergencies arise. 

That’s why we appreciate it even more when there are people and organizations looking after us. So the Fire Dept. Coffee Foundation is honored to contribute $1,000 to the New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association.

The NJFMBA is a passionate advocate for firefighters, EMTs and dispatchers, and a major part of their mission is to help protect the health and safety of first responders.

Our contribution will specifically support the Mark Virag Memorial Cancer Fund, created to honor the NJFMBA’s former sergeant at arms, who lost his battle with cancer in 2015. The fund will be used to provide needed financial support to those diagnosed with cancer to help them and their families through their own fights against cancer.

Beyond working for firefighters at local, state and federal levels, the NJFMBA also offers a vast range of resources to help individuals and families dealing with the physical and emotional effects that such a demanding career can create. The NJFMBA offers Critical Incident Stress Management to help prevent or mitigate the post-traumatic stress reactions that can be caused by on-the-job experiences.

The organization also offers a peer assistance program that helps first responders find the necessary help and intervention to deal with issues like substance abuse, eating disorders, smoking, gambling and other everyday stress issues.

And the NJFMBA organizes charitable events, including its annual Fallen Heroes 5K Memorial Run, to support important causes that benefit first responders in need, as well as their families. The organization also raises funds for individuals in need and supports scholarship programs that honor fallen firefighters and help provide for the education of first responders’ family members.

Organizations like the NJFMBA represent the true heart and sense of community that draws so many of us into the fire service, and we are honored to help support them in their many important efforts.

If you’re reading this, chances are that someone you know has faced a cancer diagnosis and the difficult battle that follows.

If you’re a firefighter, the chances are even greater because firefighters face a higher rate of cancer diagnosis than the average person. 

It’s why our foundation is proud to have contributed $5,000 to support the important work of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. This incredible organization holds a special place in our hearts because of the help they offered to one of our own.

Our chief roaster and retired fire captain, David McWilliams, served in the fire service for 35 years. In 2018, he was diagnosed with advanced malignant melanoma. The Firefighter Cancer Support Network provided Dave with a mentor who could share their own experiences fighting cancer and be a shoulder for Dave to lean on. 

The network also supported Dave with a “toolkit” care package of useful information and supplies to guide him through his journey of fighting cancer, a battle that we’re happy to say Dave is winning.

But it’s a battle that he will continue to fight, alongside countless other firefighters across the country and around the world. Research from the CDC and the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety shows that firefighters face a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer than the average person — and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer.

Cancer caused 61 percent of the career firefighter line-of-duty deaths from January 1, 2002, to March 31, 2017, according to data from the International Association of Fire Fighters. 

That’s why the Firefighter Cancer Support Network is so important. It’s now in its 15th year of fulfilling its mission to help fire/EMS members and their families cope with cancer and to provide occupational-cancer awareness and prevention training nationwide.

We are honored to stand beside them in this fight.

You thought coffee was just for drinking?

Think again.

We’re excited to announce that the Fire Dept. Coffee Foundation recently received a $15,000 contribution from Dr. Squatch Natural Soap. That figure represents a portion of proceeds from its bar soap, Cold Brew Cleanse, made with Fire Dept. Coffee.

This all-natural soap promises to “energize your shower, jump-start your skin, and supercharge your day with a blend of shea butter, salt, kaoilin clay and some top-notch Fire Dept. Coffee beans.”

We want to thank the Dr. Squatch team and their incredible customers for making this donation possible. It will go a long way toward providing essential support and resources for ill or injured first responders and their families.

It’s also an amazing example of two like-minded organizations joining together, not just to create an exceptional product, but also to make a real difference in the lives of first responders.

The Dr. Squatch story starts with humble beginnings. The founder, Jack, began creating all-natural soap recipes in his garage. His friends tried it, loved it, and the venture took off from there.

Obviously, we highly recommend the Cold Brew Cleanse. With a five-star rating after more than 700 reviews, you know that it’s the real deal. It’s gonna wake you up, clean you up and get you ready for that first cup of your favorite Fire Dept. Coffee. 

But you can also try out 10 other natural bar soaps with names Pine Tar, Nautical Sage and Bay Rum, plus a variety of other hygiene products.

Not only that, Dr. Squatch offers a 10% discount for military personnel, first responders and medical personnel.

And if all of that isn’t enough, their website is absolutely hilarious. If you enjoy the gut-busting videos from our friends at Fire Department Chronicles, you’re going to love the videos from Dr. Squatch.

So check it out and support our heroes by lathering up with Cold Brew Cleanse.