The Leary Firefighters Foundation is pleased to announce that the Detroit, Michigan Fire Department is now eligible for funding through the Foundation’s Jeremiah Lucey Grant Program. This announcement comes on the heels of the June 18th Blu-ray™, DVD and digital release of the film BURN (DVD available now at www.detroitfirefilm.org), an unprecedented documentary that chronicles the lives of the heroic men of Detroit’s Engine Company 50, one of the busiest firehouses in America.
BURN, a film from Directors/Producers Tom Putnam and Brenna Sanchez and Executive Producers, and Leary Firefighters Foundation Board members, Denis Leary and Jim Serpico, takes audiences to the front lines of Detroit and into the fires and lives of the men who fight them, exploring human struggles, hope and personal courage in the face of overwhelming odds.
Inspired by BURN, Leary and Serpico, along with the Leary Firefighters Foundation Board, expanded the parameters of the Jeremiah Lucey Fund to allow supporters of the Foundation to make restricted gifts in support of the training and equipment needs of firefighters in Detroit. Donations can be made by visiting www.learyfirefighters.org. In addition, a portion of the net proceeds of BURN will go towards the Foundation’s Jeremiah Lucey Grant Program restricted to Detroit.
Detroit has more fires than any city in the United States: A population drop from 1.85 million in 1950 to near 700,000 today has left 80,000 abandoned structures as kindling. The result is a city with 30,000 fire calls a year — the highest fire-load in America. On average, Detroit sees 30 structure fires daily, of which 90% are estimated to be intentional. By comparison, Los Angeles, with a population of 4 million, sees only 11 structure fires per day. To make matters worse, with Detroit on the verge of bankruptcy, the Detroit Fire Department is one of the worst funded departments in the world.