How We Help

The Albany Firefighters Cancer and Disability Foundation was built around a simple idea: when someone needs help, we show up.

Cancer, serious illness, disability, and other unexpected hardships can create burdens that extend well beyond a diagnosis or injury. AFCDF works to bring together financial assistance, resources, connections, and other forms of support based on the needs of each individual and family.

But our work does not begin only after something goes wrong. An equally important part of our mission is helping firefighters live healthier lives, reduce the risks that come with the job, and have access to the information and preventative care that can make a difference before a crisis occurs.

Assistance & Support

Every situation is different, and we believe the help we provide should reflect that.

AFCDF has assisted individuals and families with expenses associated with medical care, transportation, lodging during treatment, and other financial or logistical burdens created by cancer, serious illness, and disability.

We also pride ourselves on being adaptable. A person's greatest need may not fit neatly into one category, and we are willing to look at unique circumstances and find practical, creative ways to help whenever our resources allow.

Our goal is not to define what help should look like before we know someone's situation. It is to listen, understand what is needed, and determine where AFCDF can make the greatest difference.

Prevention & Education

Supporting firefighters also means doing what we can to keep them from needing our assistance in the first place.

Firefighting carries significant occupational risks, including an elevated risk of cancer, physical injury, and challenges to mental health and overall well-being. AFCDF works proactively to provide firefighters and their families with education, programs, information, and access to resources that can help reduce those risks.

Our prevention efforts include promoting cancer and injury prevention, physical fitness, mental health and wellness, and other practices that support healthier careers and lives. We also work to improve access to preventative care, including cancer screenings and examinations, and may assist with funding these services when resources allow.

The goal is bigger than simply responding to illness. We want firefighters to have the knowledge, resources, and opportunities to protect their health throughout their careers and carry those habits into life after the fire service.

Access to Resources & Care

Sometimes the most valuable assistance is knowing where to turn.

AFCDF works to connect firefighters and families with organizations, medical providers, programs, and other resources suited to their individual needs. That includes our growing network of cancer prevention, behavioral health, fitness, treatment, recovery, and firefighter-specific resources.

We also continue to build partnerships that can improve access to specialized care and make complicated systems easier to navigate.

If AFCDF cannot directly provide the assistance someone needs, we will do our best to connect them with an organization or resource that can.

Requesting Assistance

If you, a family member, a fellow firefighter, or someone in our community is facing cancer, serious illness, disability, or another significant hardship, we encourage you to reach out.

You do not need to know exactly what kind of assistance to request. Tell us what is happening and what you need, and we will determine whether and how AFCDF can help.

As a nonprofit organization, our ability to provide direct assistance depends on available resources, and every request is considered individually.

Whether it is helping someone through a difficult diagnosis, connecting a firefighter with the right resource, or working to prevent illness and injury before they happen, the purpose behind our work remains the same:

Take care of our people, strengthen our community, and be there when it matters.