Fireman’s Fund, Clear Channel Partner to Honor San Diego Firefighters for Their Sacrifices

Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company and Clear Channel Communications have announced an online San Diego countywide program that will help residents honor the sacrifices of local firefighters during Fire Prevention Month.

Through the Fireman’s Fund Heritage program, the long-term philanthropic mission of FFIC that supports firefighters for safer communities, residents will determine how $50,000 will be allocated to local fire departments.

As part of its commitment to San Diego County firefighters, FFIC has joined with 11 Clear Channel radio stations to create a unique call to action to the region’s citizens. Through Oct. 29, FFIC is urging residents to go online to their favorite station’s Web site, learn about the funding challenges facing firefighters and vote on which paid and volunteer departments should receive a donation.

By listening to their favorite Clear Channel radio stations, residents will hear regular updates on the challenge and other fire and burn safety and prevention information. The two volunteer and three paid departments with the most votes based upon the participation rate of each community will receive $10,000 grants each to fund equipment, firefighter training and fire prevention activities.

Participating radio stations are Z 90 fm (www.z90.com), 91X fm (www.91x.com), MAGIC 92.5 fm (www.magic925.com), CHANNEL 933 fm (www.channel933.com), MY 94.1 fm (www.941.com), US 95.7 fm (www.us957.com), KOOL 99.3 fm (www.kool993.com), 101 KGB fm (www.101kgb.com), ROCK 105.3 fm (www.rock1053.com), KOGO 600 am (www.kogo.com) and AM 1360 (www.klsd1360.com).

The donations through the call to action on Clear Channel radio stations is only a portion of the contributions FFIC is making to San Diego County fire departments this fall. The company is also making $200,000 available through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process where fire departments submit a proposal to request a grant.

In April, FFIC announced its $1 million commitment in 2004 to the firefighting community in San Diego County. Similarly, fire departments submitted proposals, which were evaluated by a local group of FFIC employees.

As a result, the company awarded grants to 16 fire departments totaling more than $500,000, including a $250,000 award to San Diego Fire-Rescue to support its Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program.

In the spring, FFIC also announced a partnership with the Burn Institute, a non-profit health agency whose goal is to reduce the number of burn injuries and deaths through fire and burn prevention education. The company’s 2004 fire-related contributions to San Diego County will reach the $1 million milestone through this second round of grant funding and the donations determined by the online call to action.

For more information, visit www.firemansfund.com .