OUR FOUNDING
In 2017, San Francisco Firefighter Greg Collaco invited San Francisco Fire Commissioner Joe Alioto Veronese to climb the 1192 steps of 555 California Street in San Francisco to bring awareness to first responder mental health and the gaps in funding for emergency support. With the early support from the International Association of Firefighters Local 798 and San Diego-based FirefighterAid, the National First Responders Fund hosted the First San Francisco First Responder Stairclimb and received its 501C3 status in 2017. Since our founding in California, we have increased our reach nationally and are funding mental health initiatives, courses, and other mental health-related needs with police, fire, and dispatch agencies across the country.