Fireman’s Fund Contributes More than $500,000 to Chicagoland Firefighters

Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company is awarding fire agencies throughout the Chicagoland area with more than $500,000 in grants and donations for firefighting equipment, firefighter training, community fire safety education, fire safety tools and community emergency response programs.

In response to fire service funding challenges, Fireman’s Fund created Fireman’s Fund Heritage, the company’s long-term philanthropic mission to support firefighters for safer communities. Through this program, Fireman’s Fund, its network of independent agents and employees provide grants and volunteer support to local fire departments, national firefighter organizations and fire and burn prevention non-profit organizations.

In Chicagoland, Fireman’s Fund is awarding 28 grants totaling $400,000 to fire departments in the Illinois counties of Cook, Lake, DuPage and Will. The grants, which will impact more than 30 fire departments, were awarded through a request for proposal process that began in February. Ninety-seven of the 150 eligible fire departments submitted proposals, which totaled more than $2 million in funding requests.

In addition to individual grants, Fireman’s Fund is awarding the City of Chicago Fire Department a first-of-its-kind mobile fire safety house worth $138,000. The new fire safety house incorporates design and technology that will enhance the department’s fire safety education outreach efforts and will increase the number of local citizens who can receive life saving training. It will also complement the department’s existing public outreach activities by providing residents, and particularly children, with hands-on fire and burn prevention training.

“As an insurance company, we share a common goal with fire departments — to protect our communities,” said Chuck Kavitsky, Fireman’s Fund president and chief executive officer. “The Fireman’s Fund Heritage program draws upon our company’s unique founding mission to give back to the firefighters who help safeguard our homes, businesses and lives.”

Fireman’s Fund’s support of Chicagoland firefighters will go beyond this wave of funding. Local independent agents, based on the size and growth of their business with the company, are empowered to direct grants for their local fire departments. Chicago-based Fireman’s Fund employees also can nominate their local fire departments for grants and are encouraged to volunteer with neighborhood fire departments and non-profits focused on fire and burn prevention.

Fireman’s Fund has a longstanding history in Chicago. It was one of only a few companies based outside of Illinois to pay every claim following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Today, the company has more than 400 employees in the Chicago area at offices in Chicago and Lisle, Ill., as well as numerous independent agents who offer Fireman’s Fund insurance products.

In addition to the fire safety trailer donated to the Chicago Fire Department, Fireman’s Fund awarded 28 individual grants totaling $400,000 to paid and volunteer departments throughout Chicagoland, specifically in Cook, Lake, DuPage and Will Counties.