Firefighters with ptsd campus

The Dream

We are currently working towards making our dreams reality. A beautiful campus where our headquarters will be based. We will have acres of trees, wild grasses, family/dog friendly campgrounds and hopefully a lake or river within our property. The goal with our campus is to provide a family friendly place for first responders and veterans to visit free of charge with their families to recharge their batteries and get an inside look at what we do at Firefighters With PTSD. This will also allow our organization a space to train and raise the dogs in our program while allowing the opportunity for veterans and first responders themselves to get involved with dog training if they wish to help. 

We will feature a beautiful memorial garden and pathways around our flagpole with tributes to first responders and veterans that have been lost to PTSD, men and women that served our country and community with every ounce of their being. The public will help us build/grow this garden with flowers, bushes and etched bricks in the memories of their loved ones for all to see. There will also be areas of honor for those currently serving as a first responder and/or veteran, those that have retired or those that have lost their lives on duty in some other way. To us, this is a way of saying thank you, you matter and are always remembered. 

In our minds we can already see all the activities, music and events we will have there amongst the day to day dog training, camping and socializing with like minded people. Supporting our mission makes you family and we look forward to sharing this exciting journey with each of you. There will be a lot of opportunities to get involved and so many things to enjoy once we are fully operational. 

Phase One

We are currently in phase one, we are looking to acquire land within Minnesota that checks all the boxes to make our campus dreams come true. First thing after our land is finalized will be building (or customizing) our main building. This building will have our offices, training classrooms and a small store with some pet supplies, our merchandise and camping essentials. This will also be the place we house, raise and train dogs in our program. With our partners we will offer obedience and boarding open to the public along with the opportunity for private dog training lessons. 

The goal is to have Phase One complete by 2022. 

Phase Two

In phase two things will really get rolling. This is when we will develop our campus and make it our own, match it to the amazing images that we currently have in our heads. This will be a first responder and veteran themed campground/resort open to the public and free to active or retired military as well as first responders. We plan to have a cabin that will be themed out to each branch of the military and emergency services. Police cabin, Fire cabin, EMT cabin, Army, Navy etc. We will develop beautiful walking/hiking trails and build activities for all to enjoy. We are looking to be on the water’s edge so there will be docks, boat rentals and water toys for families to enjoy. 

The goal is to have Phase Two complete by 2024.

Phase Three

This will be the celebration phase! In phase three we will have our grounds complete and ready to be unveiled. When we reach our fundraising goals and complete the campus, we will have a grand opening weekend. Live music, food, drinks, water activities, special guests and dog demonstrations. After watching the progress over the next few years, we really hope you will make the time to come out and enjoy our first official weekend with us!

The goal is the have our final phase complete by 2025.

Get Involved

We have said it before and we will say it again, without you there is no us. It is with your help that we can make the dreams of this campus come true. We will have many opportunities throughout the next 4 years for you to be involved. We will be fundraising with different sponsorship levels. We will have opportunities to support us with physical labor, donated services/materials, landscaping projects and catering for weekends that we have groups come out and help. With the help of the public we will be able to continue to do more with less and maybe even get this campus ready before 2025! Come, make your mark on our campus.