Three high school students from the greater Dallas area have started the Fireline Fund. Here’s how they’re supporting local first responders.
Brothers Sebastian and Max Lee saw firsthand how devastating wildfires could be when their grandparents lost their California home and most of their possessions to one of those natural catastrophes. It was through their grandparents’ loss that they developed the idea for the Fireline Fund, a nonprofit group designed to support local first responders.
Working with another classmate, the trio sought a way to provide North Texas firefighters with much-needed supplies on an ongoing basis. As the Fireline Fund website puts it, “When Dallas firefighters come off the line, their bodies are running on empty. The Fireline Fund keeps them going — funding the hydration, nutrition, and recovery supplies that help our crews recover and get back in the fight.”
The fund is currently in the process of raising money to cover those essentials “that bring them [the firefighters] back safely.” Over the weekend, the students were able to supply initial donations directly to the Box 4 Fire Bluff Association and Dallas Fire-Rescue which help bring food, sports drinks, water, cooling equipment, chairs, and heaters to fire crews in North Texas.
Christian Hinojosa, who serves as Dallas’s Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief, said he and his team have been inspired by the students and their desire to give back. He plans to continue working alongside the Lees and their fellow teen to organize additional donations and supplies in the future.
The students are steadily raising donations
As of writing, close to $1,500 has been raised through the Fireline Fund Dallas. Donations are being sought on an ongoing basis and can be made through the following link. Once there, you’ll indicate whether you’re making a one-time or monthly donation and the amount you’d like to pledge. Contact and payment information will be input from there.
Separately, Box 4 Fire Bluff Association also continuously seeks and utilizes donations to benefit the Dallas Fire-Rescue and provide them with needed supplies. Click here to donate to Box 4.
Assisting first responders is a particularly timely pursuit given the recent fire in Sand Branch, where county firefighters worked alongside rescue teams to cart in water from surrounding areas due to a lack of local resources in the town. Residents there are pursuing an infrastructure bond that would allow them to create a functioning water system to avoid future issues, but donating to nonprofits supporting firefighters in the meantime would be helpful in its own right.
The teens’ idea also comes at the right time given that September 17 is North Texas Giving Day. Supporting our communities however we can, even if it’s just giving a few dollars, brings us all closer together and clears the path toward a better, more resourceful future for everyone.
