Honoring a legacy.Empowering the future.
The Lt. Dewey Henry Scholarship supports the children of our Local 1403 members, helping them pursue their dreams through education.
About
The Lt. Dewey Henry Scholarship
The Lt. Dewey Henry Memorial Scholarship assists the children of Metro-Dade Firefighters Local 1403 Charity Members (Firefighters, Dispatchers, and Local 1403 Office Staff) with college educational costs, and pays tribute to the memory of Lt. Dewey Henry who was widely known as a “Fireman’s Firefighter”.
Lt. Dewey Henry died in the line of duty on September 11, 1994, while battling a warehouse fire in South Dade. He is memorialized at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and at the IAFF Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Locally, his memory lives on at Maimi-Dade Fire Rescue Station 34 in Cutler Bay, FL where a memorial was built by his fellow firefighters. The road between Firehouse 34 and the Miami-Dade County South District Station has been named “Memorial Way” in honor of Lt. Dewey Henry and all fallen heroes.
In 2000, this scholarship was established by Local 1403 to preserve his legacy and support the educational dreams of our firefighting families. This Scholarship Program is funded from membership dues collected throughout the year from union members and other charity event fundraisers promoted by Local 1403. The scholarship is available for eligible students wishing to pursue a course of study beyond high school as an undergraduate student. Awards are not available for those seeking a post-graduate college degree (master’s degree). Eligible programs include but are not limited to: Accredited colleges and universities, and post-secondary trade schools. The Lt. Dewey Henry Scholarship is a one-time scholarship award, and funds are issued directly to the scholarship winner for use of an institution or trade school for tuition, books, fees, and/or housing.
The scholarship is based on an academic year. The online application process usually opens between February/March of each year. Notifications of award/no award are made by the end of May/beginning of June. Scholarship winners are also invited to a Scholarship Recognition Breakfast at Union Hall hosted the second Tuesday of June during the Executive Board Meeting.
Eligibility:
To qualify, the following criteria must be met:
Active Members:
- The parent must be a member who is a continual contributor to the Firefighter Charities fund. A continual contributor is defined as someone who has donated to the Firefighter Charities fund via payroll deduction for the previous 13 pay periods. ** If you are an active firefighter, please check your pay stub indicating that you are a charity contributor, or you may also call the Union Hall to confirm at 305-593-6100.
- Retired Members:
- The parent must be an active 1403 retiree and must have contributed to the Firefighter Charities fund prior to their retirement.
- Child/Student:
- Must be a dependent child of an active or retired firefighter, dispatcher, or Local 1403 office staff.
- The dependent child/student is applying for their first year of college or vocational school.
- The applicant must be accepted to a college or vocational school prior to September 1 of each year.
Judging
The essays will be judged by a group of individuals (may consist of executive board members, firefighters, dignitaries, professionals in the community, etc.) and will be judged on a point-scoring system based on merit, originality, content, presentation, grammar, and AI detectability. Judges also review the essays blindly, receiving only numbered submissions without any identifying factors about the students, thereby eliminating personal preference and potential bias.
Scholarships or grants from other groups shall have no bearing on these awards. Each scholarship is based on an academic year, and the student will be required to submit an online application and write an essay on the selected topic by the deadline.
Application Deadline: Monday, April 21, 2025. For questions or comments, please email: charities@local1403.org
Click HERE to access the online application and letter outlining the essay topic.
Lt. Dewey Henry Scholarship Recipients
Click images below to view the slideshow.
