Aspiring firefighters sought for scholarship program
By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
The Negrete Firefighter Foundation is looking for a few good men and women who have the desire to become first responders, but don’t have the means at this time to attend the fire academy.
The NFF is seeking submissions of video applications from now until Nov. 30.
The foundation is asking that those looking to serve as fire fighters submit a video, no longer than five minutes, in which the future fire fighter talks about why they want to serve as a fire fighter.
Video applications should be sent to: negretefirefighterfoundation@gmail.com.
The foundation will select finalists on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022 for a final interview.
Finalists will receive a phone call to set up a formal interview. Those not selected will be receive an email on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022.
The Negrete Firefighter Foundation Inc. was created by the family of the late Jose’ Negrete, who was a firefighter/paramedic with the Copperas Cove Fire Department.
Jose’, known to his family as “Joe-Joe,” passed away in July 2020 at the age of 30 after a battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Negrete had fulfilled his dream of becoming a firefighter, but served for only about four years prior to his death.
In response, his mother, Maria, set about creating the 501c3 foundation, in the hopes of sending others like her son to the fire academy. Applicants can reside within the central Texas area.
In 2021, the Negrete Firefighter Foundation raised enough funds to send not one, but three, to the academy. Two of them, Dylan Bogard and Tyler Williams, completed their training and graduated in June.
The third had an injury and will be completing in early 2023.
The foundation held another fundraiser this year and will be using the funds to send more would-be firefighters to the academy.
Maria hopes that the Negrete Firefighter Foundation, Inc. will bridge the gap between the people wanting to make a difference by becoming a firefighter and whatever financial burdens stand in their way.
More information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/NegreteFF.