509 FOOLS, firefighters nonprofit, Spokane County

A local nonprofit organization created by and dedicated to firefighters has stepped away from its usual mission to provide enhanced training for firefighters to step in and help the community they serve as it grapples with the coronavirus pandemic.

The organization, called 509 F.O.O.L.S., recently held a food drive among firefighters in departments and districts across Spokane County, collecting hundreds of pounds of food for Second Harvest. Local food banks are struggling with increased demand and reduced numbers of volunteers.

“In just a week we brought in 901 pounds and we still have some stragglers,” said 509 F.O.O.L.S. vice president Andrew Cataldo, a firefighter with the Spokane Valley Fire Department.

The group has done fundraisers before, but it’s usually for a family impacted by a fire or a fellow firefighter who needs help with medical expenses. Though the group’s focus is firefighter training, they’re always considering how to take care of each other, Cataldo said.

They’ve also challenged other chapters of the Fraternal Order of Leatherheads Society to follow suit and do food drives of their own. Cataldo said he’s heard of a few departments organizing efforts. “It was kind of cool to see other departments in the Northwest take that up as well,” he said.

The 509 F.O.O.L.S. chapter restarted about four years ago. The founding members all came from the Spokane Fire Department, but the group now has about 80 members who represent nearly every fire department in Spokane County. “I think it may have existed a number of years ago, but reignited,” he said. “We’ve really been trying to expand that to the entire county.”

The Fraternal Order of Leatherheads Society, named for firefighters who wear leather helmets, was started by a group of firefighters in Florida in 1995. The goal was to increase camaraderie among firefighters by hosting social events as well as offering training. “They wanted to focus on real hands-on, fundamental basics,” Cataldo said.

Specialized training can by hard to come by in some departments, particularly the smaller ones, Cataldo said. The local F.O.O.L.S. chapter has brought in experts to teach classes on ladder-based search techniques and water application, among other topics.

“We really focus on the fire aspect of the job,” he said.

There’s a Coeur F.O.O.L.S. chapter in Kootenai County and Cataldo said the two chapters often work together. “There’s thousands of chapters across the country and world,” he said.

Like many organizations, 509 F.O.O.L.S. has canceled its upcoming classes and training sessions.

“We were supposed to have a get-together, what we call an open gym, just the opportunity to use a training facility,” Cataldo said.

Though part of the group’s mission is to have a positive impact on the community, not many people outside the fire service know the F.O.O.L.S. organization exists, Cataldo said. “It’s well-known in departments,” Cataldo said.

There are ongoing discussions about what to do next in an effort to help the communities where the firefighters live. One suggestion has been to raise money to buy food from local restaurants and bring to local hospitals for doctors and nurses on the front lines of the pandemic. It would support both health care workers and local businesses who are struggling, Cataldo said.

“That’s in the works, nothing formal yet,” he said.

Anyone who would like to help with that effort is encouraged to reach out to 509 F.O.O.L.S. via their Facebook page, Cataldo said. It’s the best way for the group to keep in contact with each other and the public.

“We’re all scattered across local departments,” he said.