Photo by Sarah Finnegan.
Stewart Welch
Stewart Welch
Did you know the city of Mountain Brook has consistently been ranked among the #1 to #4 safest cities to live in Alabama? A recent report from the FBI listed Mountain Brook as having the lowest violent crime rate in our state. Our fire department has a Class 2 ISO rating, placing it in the top 3% among fire departments in the nation. Impressively, 58 of our firemen are also paramedics.
None of this happens by accident. Our police and fire chiefs are very strategic in their short- and long-range planning, while focusing on hiring high-quality professionals — people who love their work and our community.
I cannot count the number of times that I have received a compliment about a fireman, EMS professional or police officer. The compliment is often followed by something like, “What can I do to thank them?” Well, now I have an easy answer: “You can make a donation to the Mountain Brook First Responder Foundation.”
In 2019, State House member David Faulkner and I worked on establishing a foundation that would support our first responders should they face a financial calamity. COVID hit and everyone’s focus shifted to how best to deal with the once-in-a-lifetime health crisis. Of course, our police chief and fire chief loved the idea of a foundation and picked up the torch post-COVID. We put a group of interested residents together to study this project and lay out the parameters for potential benefits for our first responders. Our own resident and attorney, Vince Schilleci, drafted and filed the paperwork to form the foundation with the help of a newly formed board of Mountain Brook residents, including Steven Hydinger (president), Tanya Cooper, Christopher Mouron, David Faulkner and Chamber Director Lizzie Maymon.
The purpose of the
Mountain Brook First Responders Foundation is to provide rapid-response financial support for any actively employed first responder who experiences a financial hardship due to sickness, injury, death or other serious ‘life event’ impacting themselves or an immediate family member.
The official kick-off is National First Responder Day, Oct. 28, where the Mouron Foundation will dedicate a bridge in Jemison Park to our first responders. The Foundation Board has set a goal of raising $500,000. To donate, visit mbfrfoundation.org/donate or mail a check to MBFR Foundation, P.O. Box 530302, Birmingham, AL 35252. A $100 or more donation receives a car decal.
