Canteen Vehicle to Support First Responders

Imagine you are a firefighter working a two-alarm fire! You have been setting up ladders, conducting searches, and dragging hoses for hours. You don’t mind because this is what you signed up for, but you also know that you have hours of work ahead of you. You are thirsty, hungry, and tired. As you are rotated to rest briefly while other crews work, there is one vehicle on the fireground that you most want to see right now, a Canteen.

A Canteen is a vehicle that provides much needed hydration and nutrition to the emergency personnel on the scene of major incidents and investigations. In Fairfax County there are now four departments operating canteen vehicles, three volunteer fire departments, and the Fairfax County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). CERT is a volunteer organization whose mission is to help residents prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters of all types. By operating a Canteen vehicle, we help the fire and police during extended events, thereby helping them help you during your own disasters. All canteen vehicles in the county are owned and staffed 24/7 by volunteers and funded by community donations.

CERT had been using a thirty-five-year-old step van as its canteen, and that vehicle was on its last legs. We were recently able to purchase a newer canteen vehicle with greater capacity, efficiency, and modern technology. This was a rare opportunity and time-sensitive deal, so CERT borrowed the $30,000 needed and took possession of the vehicle on February 25, 2024. We are now seeking donations to repay the money borrowed and to outfit and stock the vehicle. Any extra money raised will be used to keep the canteen stocked.

The Fairfax CERT Association, a 501(c)(3) organization, is our fundraising arm. We need your tax-deductible donations to make this Canteen purchase financially viable. Please donate today! We are open to corporate sponsorships – we would be happy to have your company name/logo emblazoned on the side of our canteen!

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