The 200 Club of Bergen County was established in 1985. We were the ninth such group formed in the State of New Jersey. Our commitment was simple and direct, to serve those that have committed themselves to the professions of Firefighting, Law Enforcement and Emergency Medical Services. Throughout our 25 years of existence The 200 Club of Bergen County is proud to have developed a number of programs to help support these men and women.

• The Appropriations Program was established as a way of funding departments for personnel safety apparatus, equipment upgrades, as well as to develop and promote educational and prevention programs.   To date the Club has donated close to $1 million dollars.  As municipal budgets are cut, and the demand for services continues to increase, The 200 Club has become one of the few sources for grant money available to our Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Services. 
   
• The Action Committee was started to help support, emotionally and financially, those families who have suffered the loss of a loved one who was killed in the line of duty. We have helped more than 40 families with checks and scholarship money totaling more than $500,000. The Club’s fundraising efforts have also helped with some of our darkest days, such as the loss of five Hackensack Firefighters in 1988 to the tragedy of September 11, 2001. In total, close to
  $1 million dollars has been donated to families throughout the State of New Jersey. It is in the pain of those left behind that we have realized the ultimate sacrifice that every Firefighter, Law Enforcement Officer and Emergency Medical Service person faces every day of their service.
   
• The Scholarship Program is another away to help off set the ever increasing costs of college tuition. The 200 Club of Bergen County has awarded more than $1 million dollars to over 150 graduating high school students that either the student or parent serves in one of the three disciplines. Each year, applications are mailed to all Police, Fire and EMT departments as well as to every high school in Bergen County. 
   
• The Annual Valor Awards Ceremony is our opportunity to recognize the men and women that have given of themselves above and beyond the call of duty. We have honored more than 500 individuals throughout these past 25 years. 

Aside from these programs the Club was able to raise more than $50,000 in 2005 to help create The Wall of Heroes. The Wall is located at the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute in Mahwah. Every individual that goes through this training facility is faced with the more than 100 plaques honoring our fallen heroes.

 

 Firefighters and Law Enforcement Officers throughout New Jersey train at this state of the art facility. In 2009 Firefighters came from as far away as Israel and trained at Law & Public Safety as part of an exchange program. The 200 Club of Bergen County partnered with the UJA NNJ with a $5,000 check in support of this program. 
 

Throughout our 25 years of hard work we are proud to be considered a “Partner” to all that serve in Fire, Police and Emergency Medical Services. Our challenge is to continue to maintain a level of funding through our programs that will help as many as possible. We also realize that beyond our programs we must be ready to be there, both emotionally and financially, should another tragedy such as September 11, 2001 occur.

 

   One of our past Valor Recipients, Lyndhurst Volunteer Firefighter Paul Horvath, was being honored at a luncheon just this past month for his service and dedication. On June 26, 2007, while off duty, Paul ran into a burning apartment building in Newark saving a number of lives. In his speech he states, “All of my training and years of service enabled me that day in Newark to do the right thing, the right way, at the right time. The 200 Club of Bergen County has been doing the right thing for a long time. They have become a friend to all of us that serve in firefighting”.