Poudre Fire Authority Collects Stuffed Animals for Children in Emergency Situations
Poudre Fire Authority is accepting donations of new stuffed animals throughout November for its annual drive that provides comfort items to children during emergency responses across Larimer County.
The 8th Annual Marlie's Stuffies for Emergencies Drive collects new plush toys that firefighters carry on response vehicles and distribute to children at traumatic scenes including house fires, vehicle accidents and medical emergencies. PFA announced November 10 that donations can be dropped off at headquarters located at 102 Remington Street in Fort Collins.
The headquarters accepts donations Monday through Thursday from 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. through the end of November.
The drive was founded in 2020 by Fort Collins resident Marlie Lassiter as a school community service project after she learned how comforting stuffed animals could be for children affected by traumatic incidents. PFA began participating in 2021, recognizing the value of comfort items in emergency response.
Stuffed Animals Provide Trauma-Informed Support at Emergency Scenes
PFA firefighters carry new stuffed animals on engines and response vehicles to provide them during emergencies where children are present. The items are distributed at structure fires, traffic collisions, hazardous material incidents, evacuations and medical emergencies.
Families and emergency responders report that children often cling to the stuffed animals throughout incidents and while receiving medical evaluation, helping to establish a sense of normalcy and reduce acute stress reactions.
Emergency management and child psychology organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics and FEMA recommend comfort objects for children in crisis situations to mitigate psychological trauma. The approach has become a best practice in trauma-informed emergency response.
PFA battled a house fire for more than two and a half hours November 8 in south Fort Collins, requiring a second alarm response to search the home and extinguish hidden hot spots. Several other Northern Colorado fire agencies including Loveland Fire Rescue Authority and Thompson Valley EMS maintain similar comfort item programs.
Drive Collected 1,700 Animals in 2024
The 2024 collection gathered approximately 1,700 stuffed animals, up from roughly 1,500 in 2023. PFA estimates the program serves 300 to 400 individual children and families annually depending on emergency call patterns.
Only brand-new, unused stuffed animals are accepted for health and safety reasons. Donated items are sorted, inventoried and checked for cleanliness at PFA headquarters before being stored in sealed bins and distributed to fire stations across the district throughout the year.
Additional drop-off locations include PFA Station 4 at 1945 Front Range Road and Station 7 at 2817 County Road 11 in Timnath, both accepting donations daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through November. Wellington Fire Protection District at 8130 3rd Street accepts donations Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through November 26.
United Way of Larimer County partners on the drive, accepting donations at its 2-1-1 Resource Center at 525 West Oak Street in Fort Collins Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through November 26.
Poudre Fire Authority serves approximately 235 square miles across Fort Collins, Timnath, LaPorte, Bellvue and surrounding areas in Larimer and Weld counties. The authority operates 13 fire stations and employs 248 full-time staff including 207 uniformed firefighters.