Who would purposefully go face to face with fire and battle this force that is so fierce and unforgiving it is capable of melting, literally melting, its victims?

Firefighters. Ordinary people. Extraordinary courage.

In 2006 Frank Buonanotte watched a documentary on The History Channel entitled "Into the Fire." Directed by Academy Award winner Bill Couturié and presented by Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, this film tells the story of real life firefighters from big city engine companies to small town volunteer fire departments.

One part of this documentary explained what it's really like for firefighters when fighting a fire. The smoke, the darkness, no visibility, not knowing the layout of the building yet having to find people that can't be seen and without knowing where they are located, crawling on hands and knees feeling their way around, not knowing if the floor or the ceiling will collapse, a limited amount of oxygen rapidly depleting, fighting time, fighting fire, trying to save property and lives, trying to stay alive.

Part of the documentary showed how thermal imaging cameras allowed firefighters to see where the fire was burning, to find their way in the building, to see foot prints and hand prints, to see where victims were located, to get to them more quickly and safely, to save victim's lives, to save themselves.

Unfortunately these thermal imaging cameras cost about $10,000 and most fire departments cannot afford to purchase enough of them for each responding unit.

After seeing this film, Frank couldn't stop thinking about the fact that so many lives could be saved with the use of the thermal imagers if only more fire departments had them. To Frank, it was as if there were a cure for cancer but it wasn't being used because people couldn't afford the cure. It didn't make sense. It wasn't right. The value of the lives was so much greater than the cost of the equipment.

He decided to purchase several cameras himself and donate them to fire departments that did not have the necessary funding to buy this equipment. Then, he started asking his friends and contacts to contribute $500 each so that he could buy more thermal imagers for more fire departments. Frank believed that most families could afford to do without some small luxury purchase and instead, better use that money to help save a life (or lives). He felt like the need was too urgent and the imagers were too expensive to solicit anything less than the requested $500.

Almost all of the people he solicited agreed. Many others gave even more. Several small businesses contributed thousands while some large organizations funded the entire cost of a thermal imager. Frank created 500 For Life, received non-profit status from the I.R.S., and made a commitment to donors that 100% of all donations would go directly to purchasing thermal imagers for fire departments. Any and all costs associated with the administration of and fund raising for 500 For Life would be paid for or provided by the Buonanotte family. This insured that all donations were used as they were intended, to save lives.

500 For Life has partnered with Fireman's Fund Insurance Company's Heritage^SM Program and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to qualify and prioritize fire departments to receive these thermal imagers based on criteria such as the number of fires fought each year and the amount of funding available from the municipalities they serve. This ensures that the fire departments that need them the most and can afford them the least are the first to receive them. However, there are over 30,000 fire departments in America and the mission of 500 For Life will only be complete when each fire department has the thermal imagers it needs to save property and lives.