About FIRE

A key set of values is applied to every aspect of FIRE – from program design, implementation, and evaluation, to relationships with partners and co-workers. At the core is the ultimate value of Respect: for partners, those marginalized by society,  the global community,  underserved issues, stakeholders and local leadership.

RESPONSIBLE – Reliably meeting deadlines on-time, honoring commitments and expectations
EFFICIENT – Achieving maximum productivity without wasted effort or expense
SUSTAINABILITY – Ensuring our programs have a replicable design and local ownership for long-term impact
PARTNERSHIPS – Strategically building partnerships with national stakeholders and trustworthy organizations
EMPOWERING – Helping to build capacity and leadership in local communities
COMMUNICATION – Open, honest, timely, and culturally sensitive communication
TRANSPARENCY – Openly, clearly, and accurately sharing all information related to our operations and finances

Mongolia faced severe economic hardship after the collapse of its Soviet-supported economy in 1990. In 1992, Flagstaff-based photojournalist David Edwards began documenting the crisis and personally delivering donated winter clothing, focusing on orphanages and street children. In 1997, he and a group of Flagstaff residents founded the Mongolian Orphans Association, which shipped aid and delivered it hand-to-hand throughout Mongolia. In 2000, the organization changed its name to FIRE – Flagstaff International Relief Effort. In 2004, Meredith Potts was hired as Executive Director. In 2005, medical supplies and training were added to basic aid and educational supplies distribution trips in rural Mongolia.

From 1999 to 2009, FIRE worked in 15 of Mongolia’s 21 provinces, delivering ten 40-foot sea containers of basic aid, totaling 76 tons, to 65,000 individuals, often on their doorstep, person-to-person, guided by local social workers. Sixty-nine American volunteers distributed the basic aid and provided $720,000 of medical supplies to 348 clinics and 1,200 hours of training to 2,100 healthcare workers. FIRE also donated 80 computers and 6,000 English books to twelve schools.

In 2009, FIRE shifted its focus to sustainable public health programs, specifically liver health and hepatitis elimination, beginning with partnerships with the National Institutes of Health and Rotary International on hepatitis research and prevention. From 2009 to 2015, FIRE trained 3,571 healthcare workers, distributed 155,000 sharps containers, and provided 2,000 health safety training videos to every clinic across Mongolia. We also educated 523 kindergartners on oral health.

In 2016, FIRE was recognized by the World Health Organization and the European Association for the Study of the Liver as one of five “Innovative Hepatitis Screening Projects” worldwide. In 2017, FIRE’s screening work was featured in The Economist Intelligence Unit as an example of best practices for HCV screening initiatives, and FIRE’s Executive Director was also named one of 18 Hepatitis C Change Makers and one of 6 Hepatitis C Change Maker Honorees by The Economist Intelligence Unit. Change Makers were recognized as innovators doing exemplary work to inspire and guide their peers on the path to HCV elimination.

Since 2017, FIRE has spearheaded the Hepatitis Free Mongolia program, with Phases 1 and 2 funded by Gilead Sciences and Rotary International. Phase 1, launched alongside Mongolia’s National Healthy Liver Program, established a screening model that increased testing and treatment access across Dornod province by visiting all 13 clinics and hospitals. This initiative introduced previously unavailable testing to the area, including specialty tests necessary for initiating treatment. Phase 2 aims to eliminate hepatitis C in Sukhbaatar province by the end of 2024, with 90% of the province tested for hepatitis B and C and 80% of those testing positive for hepatitis C provided curative treatment. Phase 3 is under development and is expected to start in 2025.

These life-changing programs have been strategically and responsibly implemented through a Memorandum of Understating (MOU) with the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Mongolia, signed in November 2009. FIRE is a recognized leader in hepatitis and health safety in Mongolia with strong working partnerships that have included the Mongolian MoH, World Health Organization (WHO), US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Asian Liver Center at Stanford University, World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA), Rotary International, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Canadian Society for International Health (CSIH), National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD), National Cancer Center (NCC), the Mongolian Association of Gastroenterologists, and countless other organizations and state agencies across Mongolia.

From 2015-to 2023, FIRE expanded into Nepal following the 2015 earthquake, supporting residents of the Langtang Valley with elder care, medical support, basic aid, and building a Heritage Trail.

Relationships

FIRE’s partnerships with diverse stakeholders—from government officials to rural clinics and community members—enhance resource mobilization and support, ensuring our programs are empowering, sustainable, and cost-effective. We engage community members at all levels, from the most vulnerable to provincial governors, allowing them to define their needs and priorities. Our local staff in Mongolia ensures that our efforts are deeply rooted in the communities we serve. We maintain clear and frequent communication with stakeholders throughout each program to prevent unnecessary overlap and create synergy with other initiatives. FIRE’s commitment to respecting local cultures, traditions, and leadership fosters sustainable and empowering programs. We focus specifically on strengthening the infrastructure and administration of state-run facilities and workers, providing training and resources to empower individuals and communities to sustain their progress long after our projects conclude.

Innovate, Efficient, Effective

FIRE’s comprehensive and strategic approach to addressing complex issues in remote and underserved populations creates innovative, efficient, and effective programming. With community-based input and ongoing monitoring and evaluation, FIRE never implements a project in the same way. Each phase is adapted, updated, and expanded based on lessons learned and extensive feedback from the community and stakeholders. FIRE was the first nonprofit organization in Mongolia to tackle hepatitis and has remained a pioneer in the fight to eliminate this silent killer. In 2016, FIRE’s “Hepatitis Free Mongolia” liver screening project was one of five international initiatives recognized as an “Innovative Hepatitis Screening Project” by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL). In 2017, its screening work was featured in The Economist Intelligence Unit as a best practice for HCV initiatives, and its Executive Director was named one of 18 Hepatitis C Change Makers.

Integrity

FIRE was established on the principles of openness, honesty, integrity, and direct intervention, serving as an alternative to the graft and loopholes often present in the complex environment of the developing world. From the outset, FIRE embraced the mottos “no middlemen” and “placing aid directly into the hands of the people.” These values serve as an ethical framework for all our actions, providing a measuring stick against which every aspect of the organization is assessed.