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About Us

The First Responder Center for Excellence (FRCE) is an affiliate of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), created to raise national awareness and drive action around evidence-based solutions for firefighter occupational illnesses and diseases. While the fire service trains rigorously for fireground operations, it often overlooks key health and wellness risks—what the FRCE refers to as “blind spots.” These are areas that have traditionally been under-emphasized in training due to limited understanding, insufficient funding, or a lack of visibility.

We believe awareness alone is not enough—action is what changes outcomes. The FRCE is dedicated to promoting educational awareness and research across five critical program areas: Cardiac health and disease prevention, prevention of occupational cancers, behavioral health, musculoskeletal injury prevention, overall health and safety (including firefighter physicals, wellness, and fitness programs).

Since its inception, the NFFF has traditionally supported projects that serve its goals of honoring fallen firefighters, providing resources to survivors, and reducing firefighter deaths and injuries. Through its work in educating the firefighter community about health and disease prevention, the NFFF identified a broader need for all first responders — firefighters, law enforcement, paramedics, emergency medical technicians and other people who provide emergency services — to have access to and receive training in addressing common health, wellness and injury issues that arise due to the unique and important nature of their work. Identifying that gap in the education available to the first responder community as a whole led the NFFF to form the FRCE in 2016.

The FRCE is committed to promoting quality educational awareness and research in five main programmatic areas:

  • Cancer Prevention and Awareness
  • Behavioral Health
  • Cardiac
  • General Health and Wellness
  • Firefighter Physical Initiative
ABOUT
BOARD & STAFF
ADVISORY COMMITEES
OPPORTUNITIES
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
PRESS RELEASE

OUR MISSION AND VISION

MISSION STATEMENT

The FRCE is committed to promoting quality educational awareness and research to reduce physical, emotional, and psychological health and wellness issues for first responders.

VISION STATEMENT

The FRCE will deliver quality educational materials and factual research through a network of professionals who are committed to reducing first responder injuries and deaths through a common set of core values.

CORE VALUES

ACCOUNTABLE

We will be responsible in our daily actions to carry out the duties of our position to meet the mission and vision of the FRCE.

COMMITMENT

We are dedicated to meeting the high expectations held for us by the people we serve and will constantly devote our time, abilities and efforts toward accomplishing the FRCE’s goals and objectives.

COMPASSION

We will advocate for the needs of individuals faced with job-related health issues and provide comfort to those in distress.

EXCELLENCE

We will strive for personal and professional excellence, and will continually work to deliver first-in-class services related to the FRCE mission.

TEAMWORK

We will carry out objectives in a truthful and honest manner, with open communication, remaining consistent in our beliefs and actions.