The Valley’s First Responders Fund
Est. 2025 by the Valley Community Foundation
For generations, the five Valley towns of Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour, and Shelton have shared a simple but powerful belief: when a neighbor needs help, you step in. From the early days of horse-drawn fire engines to today’s advanced EMS units, Valley first responders have always answered the call. They are volunteers and professionals. Parents and coaches. Small business owners and community leaders. They are the first on scene in moments of chaos -- and the steady hands that remain long after the sirens fade.
Today, their commitment remains unwavering. But the challenges they face continue to grow due to aging equipment, rising call volumes, shrinking recruitment, increasingly complex emergencies, and tighter municipal budgets. That is why the Valley Community Foundation (VCF) created the Valley’s First Responders Fund, a community-advised Preference Fund designed to provide lasting, flexible support for critical needs that often fall outside municipal budgets. Stewarded by VCF and guided by a committee of volunteer first responders from each Valley town, the fund ensures resources go directly where they are needed most -- from recruitment and training to specialized equipment. Through planned legacy gifts -- including bequests, retirement assets, life insurance, or other estate vehicles -- donors can provide ongoing support without affecting their current finances.
“This fund gives our volunteers and professionals something incredibly important, stability,” said Tom Lenart, Chief of Derby’s Storm Engine Ambulance Corps. “We raise money every year, but long-term support is harder to secure. The Valley’s First Responders Fund creates a permanent source of backing for departments like ours. It tells our members that the community stands with them not just today, but for the future.”
The idea for the Valley’s First Responders Fund grew directly out of what VCF’s Board and staff have seen year after year through the foundation’s grantmaking. Local fire companies, ambulance corps, and EMS departments frequently approach VCF seeking help for critical equipment and needs. These requests often involve specialized and expensive items that departments cannot easily raise money for or obtain through municipal budgets.
In the past VCF has awarded grants that have helped first responders purchase drones, advanced radio communication systems, lifesaving EMS equipment, and even ambulances. The creation of this fund now provides a permanent, community-supported resource designed specifically to address these types of critical gaps.
“When you spend years answering 911 calls together, you become a family,” said Sharon Closius, VCF’s President and CEO. “Many of our volunteers want to continue supporting their departments even after they’re gone. This fund gives them peace of mind knowing their gift will always be there, independent of a municipal budget, protecting the organizations they love.”
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