From a Firehouse Subs press release — On Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 10:30 a.m. Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation is donating a 36-foot trailer for Technical Rescue Teams worth more than $15,000 to the Asheville Fire Department in memory of local firefighter Captain Jeffery Bowen. The donated trailer, otherwise unavailable due to budget constraints, will serve as a central location for rescue equipment, allowing for a more rapid response in the event of an emergency.

On July 28, 2011, Asheville Fire Department responded to a four-alarm fire, resulting in the loss of a brother. This trailer is dedicated in honor of Captain Jeffery Bowen who lost his life in the line of duty. Since 2005, Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has donated more than $300,000 to public safety entities in North Carolina.

"The loss of Captain Jeffrey Bowen was felt deeply throughout the Asheville area and beyond," said Robin Peters, executive director of Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation "The Firehouse Subs family considers it a great honor to dedicate equipment to honor his memory and the community he bravely served. Captain Bowen's selfless act to save others will never be forgotten.

Each restaurant recycles leftover, five-gallon pickle buckets and sells them to customers for $2. Donation canisters on register counters explain the non-profit's mission and collect spare change, while the round up program allows guests to literally "round up" their bill to the nearest dollar.

In 2005, Firehouse Subs created the non-profit, Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, with the mission to provide funding, life-saving equipment and educational opportunities to aid first-responders. Through the non-profit 501(c)(3), Firehouse Subs has given more than $3.5 million to hometown heroes, including fire and police departments and EMS organizations.

Firehouse Subs, founded in Jacksonville, Fla., by former firefighting brothers Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen, is a 492-unit fast casual restaurant chain. The restaurants reflect the authentic firefighter heritage, as well as the founding family's 200 years of firefighting service.