About the JH Fire/EMS Foundation
Did you know that every fire station in Teton county (except Teton Village) is all part of one department?
Did you know that we have both paid staff and volunteers and that not every station is staffed?
Are you aware that every member of the department is trained to respond to every type of emergency hazard?
Do you know why we turn lights on and off occasionally when responding to calls?
Why do we grocery shop in uniform?
All of these questions and so many more became apparent to members of JH Fire/EMS as glaring misconceptions that we wanted to address. Starting in late 2021, a broad group of representatives from all four associations started having meetings to discuss the possibility of establishing a single focused Jackson Hole Fire/EMS foundation that could leverage the efforts of all four associations. These discussions were both passionate and deliberate in understanding each association’s beliefs, concerns, and needs. In the end, we all agreed that there existed a substantial opportunity to work for something better and to address some of the above misconceptions. The foundation is focused on benefiting all Jackson Hole Fire/EMS members in an equitable manner, be they paid or volunteer.
We are one family and more because we’re stronger together.
The main goals of the foundation are to:
- Improve recruitment and retention of members, both volunteer and paid.
- Increase support of all members with mental and physical health programs, necessary gear, and on-going applied career education.
- Educate our community about Jackson Hole Fire/EMS members and services, and build opportunities and knowledge to improve citizen safety.
- Advocate for new and creative ways to ensure on-the-job health and safety.
- Address fire and medical prevention tactics as well as improve public education about hazards and about the department in general.
The Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Foundation strives to support and uplift our members so that the department itself can provide better service to our community through all of its worst days.