Guns & Hoses Hockey Challenge – this Sunday!

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 Sunday is the big day –
Guns & Hoses Hockey Challenge ON ICE!
Baxter Arena March 19, at 3 PM

Come watch local police and firefighters compete in the Guns & Hoses Hockey Challenge for a good cause, to support the First Responders Foundation!

Bring the family out to cheer on our First Responders and enjoy an epic event with lots of fun scheduled on AND off the ice! There will be a Kid Zone, cool first responder vehicles, K9s, vendors, a Chuck-A-Puck break activity, awesome raffles, and more! 

Need Tickets?
The box office opens at 12:00 on Sunday
or click here to purchase now!

  • Baxter Arena has a Clear Bag Policy & concessions are credit card ONLY.
  • Bring cash! Raffle tickets and chuck-a-pucks will be available for purchase in the main concourse.
  • Look for directional signage – fans are encouraged to sit behind the team they’re rooting for!
  • Make signs to cheer on your favorite team or player!

MEET THE TEAMS – TEAM RED & TEAM BLUE!

Meet the 2023 FIRE TEAM – TEAM RED

Team Red includes firefighters from Omaha, Council Bluffs, Offutt, Lincoln, Waterloo, and Grand Island, and has a combined 269 years of service.

  • # 27 – (Captain) Derek Panneton  – Omaha Fire Department
  • #6 – (Asst Captain) Chris Sorensen – Council Bluffs Fire Department
  • #1 – (Asst Captain) Allen Weberg – Omaha Fire Department
  • #71 – Zach Mass – Omaha Fire Department
  • #69 – TJ Wurth – Omaha Fire Department
  • #39 – Matt Hill – Omaha Fire Department
  • #18 – TJ Korpela – Omaha Fire Department
  • #12 – Kevin Meschede  – Omaha Fire Department
  • #21 – Pat Driscoll – Omaha Fire Department
  • #8 – Jon Kava – Omaha Fire Department
  • #7 – Scott Fitzpatrick – Omaha Fire Department
  • #14 – Ryan Hoffman – Offutt Air Force Base Fire Department
  • #15 – Josh Ballain– Council Bluffs Fire Department
  • #5 – Chad Wheeler – Council Bluffs Fire Department
  • #23 – Neal Hoevet  – Council Bluffs Fire Department
  • #9 – Nick Mckenzie – Omaha Fire Department
  • #10 – Ryan Cyboron  – Grand Island Fire Department
  • #29 – Alex Duling – Eppley Fire Department
  • #37 – Brady Krajeski – Ralston Fire Department
  • #47 – Mike Morton Jr – Waterloo Fire Department
  • Jordan Wright – Lincoln Fire Department

Meet the 2023 POLICE TEAM – TEAM BLUE

Team Blue includes law enforcement from 8 different metro-area agencies, and has a combined 188 of years of service.

  • #13 – Anthony DeSciscio (Captain) – Omaha Police Department
  • #92 – Jason Miller – Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office
  • #64 – Benjamin Nguyen – Nebraska State Patrol
  • #24 – Ryan Fitz – Omaha Police Department
  • #6 – Tom Shaffer  – Omaha Police Department
  • #18 – Brett WAGNER  – Omaha Police Department
  • #50 – Nick Palmer – Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office
  • #17 – Mike Borman – Nebraska State Probation
  • #34 – Brandon Shelton – MCC Police Department
  • #29 – Mark Kable – Morgantown Police Department  
  • #90 – Jacob Mikesell – Sarpy County Sheriff’s Probation 
  • #21 – James Grasmick – Omaha Police Department 
  • #43 – Brandom Ozuman – Omaha Police Department 
  • #44 – Jon Sears – Lincoln Police Department 
  • #11 – Bill Stenneche – Douglas County Corrections 
  • #2 – Pat Scheifla – Douglas County Corrections 
  • #16 – Matt Backora – Omaha Police Department

Thank you to our Guns & Hoses Premier Sponsors.

First Responders and the Coronavirus

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At this time of crisis in our country, we are in a fight where the battlefield is in our own backyards and communities and first responders are on the frontlines, defending all of us.

Donate now to make a difference for local first responders, as your generous donation will support our key programs aimed at mental, emotional, and physical well-being for our first responders and their families.  As we seek to distance ourselves from one another by staying home, canceling events and school, first responders are selflessly exposing themselves to danger and risk of exposure and contraction of COVID- 19, nobly going into harm’s way on our behalf.

Continue reading “First Responders and the Coronavirus”

Support the First Responders Foundation Today & Stand With Them!

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Are you ready to make a difference in the lives of those who are first responders?
Are you willing to stand with them?
If so, support the First Responders Foundation.

Donate Now!

Sacrifice is a way of life for first responders. They respond when a call is received, leaving their own families to aid ours. First responder families sacrifice too because their loved one responds for our loved ones. In recognition of these sacrifices, the annual “Awards of Excellence” provides multiple $500 scholarships to high school seniors each spring. The recipients must have a parent who is a first responder and demonstrate outstanding commitment to their community. There is no better way to thank our first responders than to recognize their high school senior with a scholarship to help achieve their goals!

Continue reading “Support the First Responders Foundation Today & Stand With Them!”

Guns N Hoses! June 28, 2019

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Guns N Hoses – Another red vs blue competition!

Mark your calendars for the June 28th Salute to First Responders Night and Whelen, Fire, Safety, and Police Night.

During intermission of the NASCAR Whelen Racing Series there will be two feature heats each with 2 police officers and 2 firefighters. The top 4 from those heats will race for the championship.

Racing for the Red Team:
Brad Lucas from the Omaha Fire Department
Matt Meyer from the Omaha Fire Department
Dustin Wyman for the Omaha Fire Department
Pat Wolf from the Omaha Fire Depaartment
The Captain of the Red Team in First Responders Foundation Vice President Mary Rosenthal.

Racing for the Blue Team:
Larry Schwartz from the Bellevue Police Department
Adam Smith from the Red Oak, IA Police Department
Dave Volenec from the Omaha Police Department
Matt Baughman from the Omaha Police Department and Pilot for Able 1
The Captain of the Blue Team is Jim Cahill Director of Security at NE Furniture Mart.

Who will make it to the finish line first!  Come out and cheer on your TEAM!

There will be a reverse tribute lap before the race honoring all fallen first responders. Law enforcement and fire vehicles will take part in this lap. The OPD helicopter will also be overhead depending on weather and their availability. The National Anthem will be sung by David Volenec, one of the racers. At the end of the tribute lap and the national anthem, the OPD helicopter will do a flyover, stop, and bow to the crowd. The helicopter is scheduled to come back again during the races at intermission.

This event is a fundraiser for First Responders foundation. The money raised will go to the FRST Program (First Responders Foundation – First Responders Support Team) in honor of Jeremy Knott, OFD. 

FRF will have merchandise for sale and other fun ways to support the foundation.  Donations and purchases will help the First Responders Foundation continue to offer the programs and services that help first responders and their families in the metro area.

FREE Tickets for all First Responders.  Contact Mary Rosenthal at mary@firstrespondersomaha.org.  Tickets must be obtained prior to the event.

To purchase tickets visit https:http://www.i-80speedway.com/i80/events/nascar-weekly-points-night-7/

The racing will start at 7:10pm but come early to see the police and fire practice rounds and other fun activities prior to the race!

2019 Awards of Excellence Recipients Announced

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The First Responders Foundation is proud and excited to announce the recipients of the 2019 “Awards of Excellence”.  These awards are meant to recognize children of our First Responders who are high school seniors and have demonstrated good character and balanced achievements in their lives.  We congratulate all the recipients.

Awards of Excellence Scholarships were made possible thanks to the following donors who fully-funded one or more of the awards: Farmers Insurance, Jim Killips, Carol Stolp, Mary Rosenthal, Ray Somberg, Terry Headley, Tom Holland, Keith Basham, Susan Wier, Chuck Sederstrom, Al & Teri Batschelet.

The Awards of Excellence Reception was supported by Nelson Murphy Insurance and Investments and Farmers Insurance.

Police Recipients

  • Jayden Anderson – Millard South High School
  • Joseph Barrios – Home Schooled
  • Callie Billings – Gross Catholic High School
  • Eli Bogdanoff – Blair High School
  • Logan Fornoff – Glenwood High School
  • Kaylee Flynn – Millard North High School
  • Joshua Herout – Concordia Jr./Sr. High School
  • Kiya Hudson – Millard North High School
  • Michael Kelly – Elkhorn South High School
  • Leah Millikan – Logan-Magnolia High School
  • Grant Oseka – Papillion LaVista South High School
  • Matthew Perl – Papillion LaVista South High School
  • Connor Smith – Westside High School
  • Kylie Tierney – Missouri Valley High School

 

Fire Recipients

  • Thomas Ahl – Louisville High School
  • Ethan Bernard – St. Albert High School
  • Alexis Buesing – Millard West High School
  • Garrison Dodge – Oakland-Craig High School
  • Tyson Guzman – Westside High School
  • Paige Holdsworth – Millard North High School
  • Colton Mallory – Fort Calhoun High School
  • Chaylea Mandina – Gretna High School
  • Camryn McLaughlin – Lincoln Southwest High School
  • Brad Noble – Papillion LaVista High School
  • Tate Patera – Platteview High School
  • Bethany Stratton – Yutan High School
  • Katherine Swan – Elkhorn High School
  • Maximus Wold – Bellevue East High School

Recipients: remember to tell your school about your award so it can be included alongside other scholarship announcements!

We appreciate the hard work and dedication exhibited by all applicants and wish everyone continued success in all future endeavors.

Awards of Excellence Scholarships were made possible thanks to the following donors who fully-funded one or more of the awards: Farmers Insurance, Jim Killips, Carol Stolp, Mary Rosenthal, Ray Somberg, Terry Headley, Tom Holland, Keith Basham, Susan Wier, Chuck Sederstrom, Al & Teri Batschelet.

The Awards of Excellence Reception was supported by Nelson Murphy Insurance and Investments and Farmers Insurance

FRF Proud Sponsor of Firefighter Training Program for Youth

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The Tri-County Fire Corps Exploring Program is a 10-week training program that gives young people a sense of what it’s like to be a firefighter. The program celebrated its first graduation earlier this month.

Youth participants receive instruction in CPR/AED, fire extinguishers, ropes and knots, hose rolls, search and rescue, ladders, hazmat awareness, and ventilation.

We are a proud sponsor of this effort that pulls together paid & volunteer fire departments in a joint training program – the first of it’s kind.

Bleeding and Shock Kits Campaign Reaches Goal Ahead of College World Series

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Below is a news article from WOWT announcing that our Bleeding and Shock Kits campaign met its fundraising goal! Read the article below, or click here to watch a video of the story.

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) — The campaign to outfit metro first responders with a new layer of life-saving gear has hit its funding target and the new tools are in place.

We told you about the Bleeding and Shock Kit Project last month.

The goal is to protect the citizens of Omaha in the event of a mass casualty incident. The project will outfit 24 of the City’s emergency response vehicles with life-saving kits that include items such as tourniquets, pressure dressings, decompression needles and more.

Officials announced Thursday that the project had met its funding goal in time for the College World Series.

The $25,000 project was funded thanks to donations from the public, along with funding and assistance from organizations such as the First Responders Foundation, CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy, Nebraska Medicine, MECA, the Omaha Professional Fire Fighters Association, and Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate.

“We’re extremely thankful to the corporations that stepped up in support of this project, as well as the citizens of
Omaha who donated,” said project organizer and Omaha Firefighter Dustin Talacko. “With your support, Omaha is now better equipped to handle an unthinkable crisis, should one occur.”

FRF Donates Water to First Responders Working the CWS, Compliments of Bucky’s Convenience Stores

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We are so appreciative when businesses in our community support our first responders! Bucky’s Convenience Stores are a great example. The company recently donated 100 cases of water (that’s 2,400 bottles!) to the First Responders Foundation, and we in turn provided them to first responders battling heat and humidity to work the College World Series.

FNB Employee Chooses to Support First Responders with Employee-Directed Donation!

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We’d like to thank Diann Swigart at First National Bank of Omaha who recently received a $500 employee-directed donation and chose to support the First Responders Foundation! She also organized a team of 6 volunteers to deliver 480 sack lunches to first responders as part of our Annual Appreciation Lunches.

Thank you Diann and her team for supporting first responders and the men and women who put their lives on the line every day.

We Installed 323 Alarms for Homes in Need!

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On Saturday, May 12 in Bellevue, First Responders Foundation in partnership with the American Red Cross were able to install 323 alarms and made 70 homes safer! We also sent volunteers to help.

Detectors are essential for your family’s safety – but not every home is equipped with these life-saving devices. Even if they are, the batteries may be missing or dead. Other homes may have a smoke detector but not a carbon monoxide detector, which is the only way to be alerted if the odorless, invisible, and lethal gas is seeping into an unventilated home.

Learn more and request a detector here.

#SupportRed

Mar 17, 2023

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