One young family from out of state knew they needed to get to Houston. They knew no one in the city, had no idea where they would stay, and were at their wits’ end. The wife told us what happened next with tears in her eyes. She looked down at her phone and found a text with a link to the Texas Firefighters Home. She never learned who sent it or where it came from. To her family, it was the answer to their prayers.
Stories like hers are why the home exists. Firefighters from all over the country come to Houston for world-class medical treatment, often after exhausting the options in their local area. Serious illness and cancer bring them here. Traveling to an unfamiliar city without a connection is terrifying, and lodging becomes one more obstacle a family has to overcome before treatment can begin. Many first responders who connected with the TFFH were able to find treatment options that extended their lives, because the home gave them and their families a place to stay while they got the care they needed.
The Texas Firefighters Home (TFFH) provides short-term housing for firefighters, first responders, and family members undergoing treatment at any of the facilities in the Texas Medical Center. Any firefighter qualifies, active or retired, paid or volunteer, along with their immediate family, and the doors are open to our Canadian brothers and sisters, as well. Six fully furnished apartments are available for stays of up to 90 days. The only cost is a $150 cleaning fee for the entire length of stay.
According to the families who have lived there, the apartments provide a real sense of home. They continually leave written messages in the apartment logbooks describing how the TFFH made them feel safe and supported, and how it gave them the gift of focusing on healing.
As firefighters, we face unique occupational hazards, including an increased cancer risk. Navigating treatment, travel, family, and the job can be overwhelming long before housing enters the picture. The TFFH fills that housing void so a family’s energy goes into recovery instead of searching for or paying for accommodations. What families describe beyond the apartment itself is the kind and caring support around them, along with a strong connection to the Houston Fire Department, neighboring fire departments, and the Houston community in general.
The home was founded as a project of the Rotary Club of University Area Houston and operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It is supported by Rotary District 5890, Houston Professional Firefighters Local 341, the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters, the IAFF, numerous other fire departments, private individuals, and past recipients of the TFFH. An all-volunteer board and Rotarian volunteers work in concert with volunteers from the Houston Professional Firefighters Association to run the home and, most importantly, to support firefighters and their families through some of the most difficult struggles of their lives.
Since it opened, the TFFH has provided more than 7,500 free nights to first responders and their families, a value exceeding $1.1 million. Board and operations remain 100% volunteer. Each September, the home hosts a fundraising gala that serves as its primary source of donations, and the organization continues to invest in its mission and expand the number of first responders who benefit from this unique and needed service.
This is a true manifestation of the brotherhood and sisterhood of the fire service. Somewhere this year, a firefighter will get a diagnosis and realize Houston is where the family needs to be. When that happens, someone should send them the link.
You were there for us. We are here for you.
