Brothers Helping Brothers: Backing Safety Initiative Grants

Brothers Helping Brothers: Backing Safety Initiative Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Brothers Helping Brothers
Amount: Unspecified amount in in-kind support
Last Updated: October 23, 2025

Summary

The Brothers Helping Brothers initiative aims to provide essential equipment to small fire departments and EMS organizations in the U.S. Established in 2014, the program offers grants to eligible agencies serving communities with populations under 10,000. With a focus on tools like wireless backup cameras, the organization strives to enhance safety and operational efficiency for first responders. Through community support, they have raised significant funds to assist in this critical mission.

Overview

About Us Brothers Helping Brothers was started in early 2014, when Nick Magoteaux’s co-worker/firefighting brother, Art Springer, was hospitalized with the H1N1 virus. Originally, Nick started a line of t-shirts to raise money for his medical expenses. Unfortunately, Art passed away from complications of the H1N1 virus on January 23, 2014. The decision was made to continue the t-shirt campaign to raise money for Art’s daughter, Mollie. Through various efforts, Nick and his brothers from the Phillipsburg Fire Department (Phillipsburg, OH) and The Red Knights Ohio Chapter 16, raised over $20,000 for Mollie. One of Art’s passions was making sure his brothers at the Phillipburg Fire Department had the proper tools, even if it was at his own expense. Many other fire departments out there today are without the necessary tools and lifesaving equipment and do not have the funds needed to buy them. This started the passion to create Brothers Helping Brothers. We want to build the Brothers Helping Brothers brand, by raising funds to provide vital tools and equipment to small and/or rural fire departments in need. Brothers Helping Brothers became a 501c3 non-profit organization on July 1st, 2014. Since being founded they have given out fourteen grants and are working on many more. Brothers Helping Brothers is also researching to find out what tools and equipment are most needed in the fire and EMS service, in hopes to raise awareness of what departments desperately need. Backing Safety Initiative The Backing Safety Initiative Grant is for one Wireless Back Up Camera for Fire/EMS Apparatus.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Eligible applicants for a Brothers Helping Brothers grant are limited to fire departments or EMS organizations operating in any of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia.Applicant organization must serve a population of fewer than 10,000 people or organization must have less than 30 employees which a majority is volunteer or paid per call personnel.A “fire department” is defined as an agency or organization having formally recognized arrangement with a State, territory, local or tribal authority (city, county, parish, fire district, township, town or other governing body) to provide fire suppression to a population within a fixed geographical area on a first-due basis. The “fire department” must be a municipal, non-profit, or not for profit organization.An “EMS organizations” is defined as an agency or organization having formally recognized arrangement with a State, territory, local or tribal authority (city, county, parish, fire district, township, town or other governing body) to provide EMS to a population within a fixed geographical area on a first-due basis. The “EMS organization” must be a municipal, non-profit, or not for profit organization. Brothers Helping Brothers shall determine the amount of any financial grant award as funds are available. The non-availability of funds may prevent the approval of any application for grant funding. Brothers Helping Brothers shall reserve the right to determine the method and amount of grant disbursement.

Ineligibility

Ineligible applicants are the following:Fire training centers.Emergency communications centers.Auxiliaries and/or fire service organizations or associations.Dive teams and search and rescue teams or any similar organization that do not have fire suppression/EMS responsibilities.Any for profit Fire or EMS agency.