LOS ANGELES — As its members return from the fire lines, the Los Angeles Firemen's Credit Union launched this week what may be a first among its peers, a charity foundation devoted to helping support families "in time of crisis," fund training and provide equipment to needy departments across the state.
"Finally we will have a way of directing funds to California firefighters and the departments they serve on a consistent, organized basis," explained Pat Engel, battalion chief of Los Angeles City Fire and a director of the LAFCU board.
The "Fire Family Foundation," said Engel, will provide what no other entity in California does, a framework for the public to support firefighters and their families "in times of need and provide much needed equipment to small or underfunded departments."
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The foundation is being structured so that 100% of donations will pass through to beneficiaries, said Michael Mastro, president/CEO of the $790 million CU that has 24,000 professional members across the state.
"Firefighters go into life or death situations as a daily routine and become a family and so it is our mission to support our family as a core business," said Mastro noting that during the last two weeks "our firemen fought some of the most incredibly challenging and complex fires in history."
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