About

Robert knew from a young age that he wanted to be a firefighter. After serving his country for 6 years in the Air Force, Robert fulfilled his dream of becoming a Houston firefighter in 2010. Robert began his career by seeking the busiest station in the city where he could learn the most about firefighting. Station 68 found Robert to be a hard working, dedicated firefighter, and quickly accepted him as a valued member of the crew. Robert served his city proudly, working long hours and extra shifts. He was living his dream.

On May 31, 2013, Houston suffered a tragic loss. Robert Garner, along with three other firefighters, perished while fighting a motel fire in Southwest Houston. This was the deadliest day in the 178-year history of the Houston Fire Department. In our grief, we decided we wanted to do something for others in memory of our friend, Robert.

We set out to hold a gumbo cook off with the goal of raising $6,000 to provide scholarships for fire school. We were blown away by the response from our fellow Houstonians who allowed us to raise three times our goal! On that day, the Robert Garner Firefighter Foundation was born, with the mission of “Inspiring and Educating Tomorrow’s Heroes…Today.”

Since that day, we have continued to grow, thanks to our great volunteers, sponsors, and supporters, as well as the guidance of our board of directors; all committed to seeing that the foundation remains true to our original mission.

We have also formed partnerships with Houston Community College, Houston Fire Department, Houston Independent School District, Fort Bend Independent School District and many more. Through the generous support of our donors, The Robert Garner Firefighter Foundation has become one of the fastest growing charities in theUnited States.

We are honored to be able to support our local heroes. We will continue to work hard to provide education and training to those willing to risk their lives to save ours.