what we do

The Albany Firefighters Cancer and Disability Foundation is a non-profit organization serving the greater Capital District of Upstate New York. When one of our community members needs a helping hand we are here to reach out with the arms of their brothers and sisters to lift them up together. We know just how difficult a cancer diagnosis or severe disability can be and we were formed to help ease that burden as a collective and as such we act to bring together resources and assistance to those who need it most.

While we aim to serve when unforeseen circumstances arise, we also strive for prevention. With a proactive stance we look to provide the education, programs and resources to help avoid injury and minimize the highly elevated risks of cancer associated with firefighting.

Our goals and our mission come from a place of tradition and togetherness. We honor the legacies of our predecessors and carry that into our high hopes for the future.

In the early 2000’s retired Albany Fire Captain Kevin Murphy, as a then new firefighter,  began a grassroots fundraising effort he named “Brother’s Keeper.” The aim of this effort was to gather the funds and support to make sure Albany firefighters and their families who were suffering from cancer or other serious health concerns had the financial and logistic burdens associated with them alleviated as much as possible. Shortly after the inception of Brother’s Keeper,  Captain Murphy’s close friend now retired Albany Fire Lieutenant John Tidings became the second half of Brothers Keeper, and the two acted as partners for two decades in building a network of community support to act with benevolence for not just fire department members but the greater community at large.

The network he had created was then able to assist him with and during his treatments, easing the burden on he and his family. With great help and thanks to the medical professions involved and his family and friends,  Captain Murphy is now in remission and has been medically retired from the fire service. Shortly after his retirement, Lieutenant Tidings chose to retire as well leaving the future of Brothers Keeper in limbo. Murph and Tigger (as they were ubiquitously known) brought the idea of continuing their work to a few of the firefighters who had been steadfastly assisting them in recent years. They passed down years of knowledge and networking which gave the spark to bring to life AFCDF.

AFCDF is a continuation of the legacy and ideals behind the work done by Murph and Tigger over 20 years. Our aim is to grow up those ideals, utilizing the knowledge of the past alongside the modern concepts and tools available to a new generation of firefighters. Tradition and innovation coming together to better those we serve for years to come.