Have a Heart for Heroes, Charlotte, NC (2026)

Cancer, heart attacks and PTSD are disproportionately higher in firefighters than the national average.

03/10/2025

PTSD and it’s Physiological Impact
Stress from PTSD affects the human body in many ways. Early on it will manifest itself psychologically. While our body is busy battling the mental demons, stress is wreaking havoc on us physically.
Increasing heart rate and blood pressure, hyper-vigilance, redirecting blood flow and suppressing functions like digestion and growth are the weapons our body uses to allow us to cope mentally. But there’s a cost physically. Heart disease, digestive issues, inflammation and muscle tension are the price we pay.
The stress from a career in firefighting and policing can be off the charts.
The result can be heart attacks, chronic pain, sleep disorders and gastrointestinal disease just to name a few.
Our body survives the early battles but potentially loses the war.
This charity, Have a Heart for Heroes, is my weapon to help win this war.
In addition to assisting retired first responders with these health issues financially, we will also be donating funds towards PTSD research and its impact on first responders.
Please “Help us Help Them.”
Thank you,
Warren Smith Retired Lt. FDNY Ladder 9

03/04/2025

The Motivation Behind Have a Heart for Heroes
In 2002, the FDNY Counseling Unit organized a support group made up of firefighters that responded very early on the morning of 9/11 and miraculously survived. There weren’t many. Twelve of us were a part of this group.
The counseling unit saw a need to address us a group rather than just individually. Smart move. The level of difficulty we were having coping, what we witnessed that morning, the survivors’ guilt and the problems we were having conforming to a somewhat normal life, put every one of us in a place only those in this group could identify with. It was not a position you’d want to wish on your worst enemy. But here we were.
Something one of the counselors said to us back then has stuck with me all these years. With brutal honesty he said, “You will never be the person you were on September 10th, 2001. All you can hope to do is learn how to be the best version of the person you are NOW.”
Those meetings helped me tremendously. Simply knowing that other firefighters were dealing with the same exact issues you were, somehow made it easier. There was no doubt we all had PTSD. We could have easily sent Central Park Lake into overflowing with all the tears we shared.
For me, this group, along with individual counseling and some serious medication, literally saved my life.
I share this because at the end of these meetings, that went on for a few months, I remember thinking how fortunate I was to have been able to share my experience with these heroic men dealing with the same exact issues.
A common phrase we heard back then was,” Why don’t you just think about how lucky you are and get over it.”
In the midst of getting better and living my life, I never stopped thinking about where I was in 2002, where I am now and about the firefighters and police officers that may be having difficulty surviving retirement due to job related poor health.
At the time I wasn’t in a place to do anything to help them. I retired earlier than planned, relocated to Charlotte, NC, raised a family and worked my tail off to provide them with the life 9/11 tried to take from me.
The men and women that serve and protect you as first responders absolutely put their lives on the line every single day they report for duty. Working in small towns or big cities, it doesn’t matter. The potential is always there. That stress affects you in many ways. Mentally and physically. None of them are good.
This is not just about 9/11. Nor is it trying to duplicate what Tunnels to Towers is doing. Which is absolutely incredible! Their organization’s mission and focus is on first responders and veterans suffering catastrophic injury while in the LINE OF DUTY.
Our focus is on first responders everywhere that develop health issues as a result of years of dedication and service AFTER RETIREMENT. Not just in NYC.
If poor health presents itself after retirement, the price we pay can be steep. PTSD, cardiovascular disease, lung issues and cancer are all too common in retired first responders.
Which brings me to where I am now and the motivation for starting this charitable organization, Have a Heart for Heroes.
The bottom line is this….I can't simply standby and not do all I can to help these men and women. They’ve earned it.
Please help in any way you can. Donations, volunteering or any suggestions you may have that can “HELP US HELP THEM” will be greatly appreciated and be put to good use.
100% of this charity’s profits are for them.
On the website haveaheartforheroes.org you can….
- Learn more about our mission.
- Navigate to the bottom of the homepage and NOMINATE A HERO.
- Contribute to our cause by clicking DONATE TODAY to “HELP US HELP THEM.”
Thank you for your support.
Warren “Smitty” Smith (Ret Lt FDNY L-9)

02/15/2025

Mission Statement

Our charitable organization, Have a Heart for Heroes (website-haveaheartforheroes.org) is dedicated to supporting retired first responders and their families who face health challenges after retirement. Years of exposure to smoke, hazardous chemicals, traumatic events, and job-related stress have led to higher rates of conditions such as heart disease, lung issues, cancer, PTSD, and depression among our heroes. In fact, one in three retired first responders are diagnosed with PTSD and depression, compared to one in every eleven among the general population.

I am Warren “Smitty” Smith, a retired FDNY Lieutenant from Ladder 9 in downtown Manhattan. I responded early on 9/11 at the World Trade Center, and I vividly remember being on the 35th floor of the North Tower when the South Tower collapsed. Four of my men and I barely escaped that day, while three courageous colleagues did not survive. I honor their memory daily, and my personal struggle with PTSD has profoundly shaped my life.

After retiring in 2002 because PTSD affected my ability to perform my duties, I found healing through medication, counseling, and the steadfast support of my family. In 2003, I moved from New York to Charlotte, NC, where I built a successful business that I recently sold. Now, with my adult children all doing well, I have the time, passion, and means to launch this charity.

My plan is to travel across the country, identify retired first responders in need, and provide the necessary support. Along the way, I plan to document my journey—sharing stories about the remarkable people I meet, as well as reflections from my life as “Smitty.” My wide-ranging experiences—from the Jersey Shore to my 21-year career with the FDNY to owning a bar in New York and running a residential painting business in Charlotte—they all gave me the opportunity to cross paths with quite an interesting cast of characters. From the hysterically funny and witty to the drama queens and clueless, I’ve met them all. Sharing them in a book will be fun and at the same time is worthy of a few laughs in the process.

I invite you to join me in this all-important endeavor. Please visit our website, haveaheartforheroes.org, where you can:

• Request support or recommend someone in need by navigating to the bottom of the homepage and NOMINATE A HERO

• Contribute to our cause by clicking DONATE TODAY to “HELP US HELP THEM.”

Thank you for your support
Warren “Smitty” Smith

Retired Lt FDNY Ladder 9

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Address

Charlotte, NC
28277

Telephone

+17047129974

Website

http://Haveaheartforheroes.org/

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