The Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) and the New York City Police Department (NYPD), in partnership with New York Blood Center (NYBC), today announced the results of the 2025 “The Bravest vs. The Finest” Blood Donation Competition at FDNY Headquarters in Brooklyn.
From June 20 to July 23, 2025, the FDNY and NYPD participated in an interagency competition to donate the most blood. Summer presents a critical need for blood donations, as school closures, vacations, and fewer drives reduce collections while demand rises from accidents, surgeries, and ongoing treatments—straining already limited supplies.
During the four-week campaign, the FDNY came out on top, with more than 1,100 donations and a nearly 7% participation rate. The NYPD had nearly 1,600 donations, reaching nearly 4% participation. In total, the donations from the two agencies saved 8,124 lives.
“This competition resulted in more than 2,700 blood donations, which has the potential to affect more than 8,000 lives,” said NYBCe Vice President of Operations Jeannie Mascolino in an August 12 event at FDNY’s headquarters in Downtown Brooklyn. “In the end, this wasn’t “The Bravest vs. The Finest”—it was the bravest and the finest coming together to save lives. You’ll be proud to hear that when we launched this campaign, our hope was to reach a 2-3% participation rate, similar to the national average of eligible donors who take the time to donate blood…in the end, our combined agency participation rate was nearly 5%.”
FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker accepted a trophy on behalf of the agency. “There are really no losers in this contest. This competition shows the best of New York City: two agencies committed to public safety joined forces to save lives,” said Tucker.”I’m proud of the FDNY and NYPD members who participated and all New Yorkers who stepped up to help save lives on our behalf. Thanks to New York Blood Center for an exciting partnership that means the difference between life and death.”
“Competitions like this aren’t about winners or losers — they’re about uniting New Yorkers behind a greater cause,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “I congratulate the FDNY on their strong showing in this blood donation competition and together our efforts helped save more than 8,000 lives. I’m grateful to New York Blood Center for their unwavering commitment to providing this city with a critical lifeline, and to the members of the NYPD who continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with all our first responders to keep New Yorkers safe.”
The friendly rivalry between the Bravest and the Finest ran from Monday, June 23, 2025, to Sunday, July 20, 2025, at all FDNY and NYPD sponsored blood drives, NYBC donor centers, and other community blood drives. The goal was to help address the urgent need for blood donations during the summer, a time when blood supplies can run low. On June 2, New York Blood Center declared a blood emergency following a sharp and sustained drop in blood donations in New York and New Jersey.
Eligible New Yorkers can donate blood every 56 days, and platelet donors can give twice per month. To make an appointment, donors can call 1-800-933-2566 or visit nybc.org.