Better World Initiative

In 1968, through a mutual love for collecting antique fire helmets from around the world, two fire captains, Ronny Coleman and Ray Russell, began what would become a lifelong friendship. Then, in 1972, those two firefighters decided to make their vision a reality; they would create a helmet that truly met the needs of emergency personnel. After all, who better to design a product than men who have worn one themselves? With over 150 years of first responder experience by our staff, we still embody the value of “For Firefighters, by Firefighters” today. 

Now, 50 years later, Ronny and Ray’s vision still acts as our guiding light – a vision to leave the world a better place. In 2022, we unveiled our new vision: Better People. Better Products. Better World. 

We believe that it is our responsibility and privilege to enrich others’ lives for the better. Through our Opportunity For All program in partnership with the California Department of Rehabilitation, we seek to remove the barrier to employment that many face when seeking employment. It is through this program that we have had the ability to provide dozens with the opportunity to gain on the job training while getting paid for the valuable work that they provide. Through our Phenix Experience Tours, we have welcomed thousands of people from around the world to tour our facility and learn from us on how to create a culture of joy. From our internal staff members to our wider global community, we are committed to making each experience better than the last and continuing to learn and help improve our greater community that we all call home. 

Without people, there would be no passion, and worse, no innovation. By creating a culture in which people of all different backgrounds and abilities have the ability to thrive, we can contribute towards the betterment of the world. 

Beyond our vision, Phenix family members live according to a set of core values. One of those values is to leave the world a better place. In 2022, we launched our Better World Initiative as a way for members of the Phenix family to give back to the local communities that we call home. In 2023, we are excited to announce that we are opening these initiatives to the public. If you would like to join us, please look at the following calendar for a list of upcoming opportunities and to sign up or send us an email at learn@phenixfirehelmets.com for more information.