Established in 2022, the Captain Christopher D. Carneal Foundation was founded by Captain Chris Carneal’s widow, Dana d. Carneal, in his loving memory. Prior to Captain Carneal’s passing, while he was hospitalized for a procedure, she pitched the idea of a scholarship foundation in his name, to not only continue his legacy, but to inspire and support the future of first responders.
Christopher D. Carneal was born on March 1, 1973. As a young boy, Chris set his sights on being a firefighter. As he got older, he added being a police officer to his career dreams. Chris was awarded the Certificate for the Pikes Peak Law Enforcement Academy in 2007, and he earned his Associate of Applied Science (Fire Science Technology, AAS) in 2012.
Captain Carneal was a first responder for the majority of his life. He worked as a police officer in Fountain, CO for many years and when his time in law enforcement came to an end, he transitioned from fighting crime to running selflessly into burning buildings. Captain Carneal was a firefighter paramedic at Fort Carson Army Base, where he finished his time in public service. Captain Carneal was diagnosed with Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma in 2016, which led to the removal of one of his kidneys and many changes to his lifestyle; however, one less kidney was not enough to keep him down. Through high spirits, and perseverance (maybe a little stubbornness, too), Captain Carneal was back at work shortly after. He was told by his medical team that with the removal of his kidney, he was cancer free. Unfortunately, two years later, we found that was not the case. In September of 2018, Captain Carneal went to the doctor with concerns regarding one of his toes. After the amputation of his toe, it was found that his cancer returned with a vengeance. We were told that his cancer came back at Stage Four and he was given 22 months to live. If you were lucky enough to know Chris, you’d know that he was not one that was told what to do. He took this diagnosis and fought hard for his life. Chris lived for 25 months after receiving this diagnosis. Through countless treatments, hospital stays, chemotherapy, radiation, surgical procedures, and appointments, Chris stayed in good spirits. Through prayer, family, and friends, Chris remained a tough-loving, selfless, man of God and did not fear his future. On November 30, 2020, at 47 years old, Chris was called home by his Heavenly Father and took with him a large part of everyone’s hearts. Captain Carneal’s legacy will live on forever and he is deeply missed by those whose lives he touched.
The Captain Christopher D Carneal Memorial Foundation is a Tax-Exempt Nonprofit Organization under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. If you would like to help the Captain Christopher D Carneal Memorial Foundation grow and support the men and women in public safety, you can make a donation here: