As a Colorado resident, what's the best way to donate to firefighters and fire fighting efforts? Should I just like... call my local station and ask what they need? Can I donate lunches and stuff that way?
Alrighty, lets chat donating to firefighters/firefighting efforts!
Most firefighters are going to have very strict rules about what donations they can accept and how those donations can be given. A lot of this has to do with laws to prevent things like bribery, payoffs, etc. Unfortunately a lot of well-meaning stuff does get caught in the crossfire here, but that just is what it is for the purposes of this discussion.
Some of it also has to do with contracting. Let's say you want to donate some Gatorade to your local station. They may already have a contract in place with a supplier to get Gatorade, and if you provide them Gatorade for free now they're going to buy less Gatorade from that supplier they have a contract with, and that supplier is going to feel like they've lost money, and they'll get grumpy about it. So to avoid pissing off their contractor, they just have to say no one else can give them Gatorade. Joys of capitalism.
Homemade food is a big no-no because of health and safety stuff. You may have the best of intentions, but that doesn't mean the random person down the street with a vendetta against the fire department for blocking their driveway one time won't bake them a cake full of laxatives. They just can't risk it. (This one can be a little more laid back sometimes, it just really depends on the context.)
So what CAN you do? Well, start by going to the websites and social media pages of the relevant fire departments! Or, if its a wildfire, the websites and social media pages of that wildfire, and seeing what they've posted. Most will have something like a donation link, or a list of other ways you can help.
If there is a major disaster going on, like a wildfire or a flood or what not, look into your state's VOAD list. VOAD is "Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster" and its a list approved and vetted organizations that volunteer their services during disasters. There's individual state lists and a national one. And they're for all sorts of things! Food, shelter, daycare services, health services, pet related services. Some will be focused on serving the community, some will help at fire camps, etc.
Now, if you own some sort of BUSINESS that wants to help out, like a restaurant or food truck or laundry service or whatever, call your local fire department or wildland fire dispatch center and ask what the process is for becoming an approved vendor. But do this BEFORE anything happens. It's usually a somewhat long process with a lot of paperwork, but worth it. You can also look into getting onto the VOAD list for your area, or even the country if you are willing, but I'm not very familiar with that process.
There are also times where a disaster will get bad enough that all these rules go out the window. During the East Troublesome Fire in 2020 our local fire departments started out saying they weren't accepting any donations, but once the fire blew up they put out a call for the community to donate personal care items for the firefighters because the county was so cut off by all the fires, the stores were empty and not getting restocked.
But also be aware that your donations may not be wanted, and may even make people uncomfortable, no matter how well-intentioned you are. My wildland fire dispatch area has had a ROUGH year with three people killed and two seriously injured in one incident, a pilot killed in a neighboring district, and another major injury on our district, and it has resulted in us getting so, so much STUFF. Free meals and packages of snacks and gift cards and regular cards and and and. It's all nice, and I get it, but it's also a constant reminder of how bad shit has been. Like, man, I just wanted to run in and pick up my prescription and a sympathy card, please don't offer to buy my sandwich for me because you saw the logo on my shirt and realized who I work for.
At the end of the day, just do a little research for your area and what's accepted, and don't be afraid to call and ask if aren't finding the information you're looking for. But also be aware of and accepting of the fact that the answer may be "no thank you."
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