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Peter Vexter |
Grant Stories
Through the Fireman's Fund HeritageSM program, agents across the country who carry Fireman's Fund products have the opportunity to direct grants to the fire department of their choice based on the growth of their business with Fireman's Fund. Fire departments can use these grants for the purchase of needed equipment, firefighter training and community education. The pace of Fireman's Fund Heritage grants going to fire departments across the country continues to increase as more of our affiliated agencies get involved. A list of recent grants can be found below.
Insurer by Day, Firefighter by Night
This month we bring you the story of someone in a unique position to discuss the Fireman's Fund HeritageSM program. Peter Vexter is a 20-year veteran of the fire service, having served both as a career firefighter and captain in London, England for eight years and a volunteer firefighter and EMT here in the U.S. in Clarendon Hills just outside Chicago.
He is also Executive Vice President for independent insurance agency ProQuest, a seller of Fireman's Fund products. This fact has given Vexter the opportunity to direct four grants from Fireman's Fund to organizations in Illinois, including grants for an emergency generator to the Hinsdale Fire Department, an advanced life support mannequin to the Oswego Fire Department, an onboard generator for fire apparatus to the Hinsdale Fire Department, and a new interoperability unit to the Illinois mutual aid organization MABAS 10 for for its mobile response vehicle. Explains Vexter, "MABAS is a unique system developed in Illinois with an established mutual aid procedure" providing command and communications support for 18 local fire departments. As large-scale events like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina have shown, communications interoperability is key to successful emergency response.
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l to r: Peter Vexter with Fireman's Fund employees Joe
Shores, Diane Cummings, Michelle Smith, Joy Rector, & Tom Johnson
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That's why as both a citizen and an experienced firefighter, Vexter voices some frustration with the funding situation for fire departments. "It seems like every day the administrators wake up and say, ‘We could have saved money last night if we didn't have to pay the fire service." Yet with the extra responsibilities that face the fire service today, and the increased deadliness of the typical fire, he says that "proper equipment is more vital than ever." That's why Vexter is so excited about the grants he can award through his agency's relationship with Fireman's Fund. "We all get jaded with glossy marketing," he explains, "but I can tell you that this program is making a huge difference. With these grants, lives will be saved. I'm not sure when or where, but lives will be saved."
Share Your Own Story
Getting the word out is important to the continuing success of the Firemans' Fund Heritage program. For those of you in departments who have received a Fireman's Fund Heritage grant, help us build the program further by sharing your own story of how it has helped.
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Grants in Brief |
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Our agents are directing grants to fire departments across the country. Congratulations to the most recent grant recipients:
Alabama
- Asbury Fire Department, Albertsville — $10,000 to equip new fire truck
California
- Fire Safe Sonoma, Santa Rosa — $11,049 for a community wildfire education plan
- Grover Beach Fire Department, Grover Beach — $7,200 for turnout gear
- North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Tahoe City — $10,000 for a geographic information system and disaster preparedness program
- Felton Fire Protection District, Felton — $7,235 for rope, flashlights and other equipment for fire trucks
- French Camp Fire Department, French Camp — $12,415 for air canisters and rescue equipment
- Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles — $15,343 for fitness equipment
- Belmont-San Carlos Fire Department, San Carlos — $18,280 for a thermal imaging camera, SCBA and rescue tools
- Sonoma Fire Department, Sonoma — $40,000 for communications equipment
- Visalia Fire Department, Visalia — $5,200 for two carbon monoxide detectors
Florida
- Boca Grande Fire Control District, Boca Grande — $7,422 for air packs and cylinders for rescue boat
- Daytona Beach Fire Department, Daytona Beach — $21,138 for three thermal imaging cameras
- Holly Hill Fire Department, Holly Hill — $21,137 for a thermal imaging camera and rescue equipment
- Palm Beach Fire Rescue, Jupiter — $10,000 for carbon monoxide detectors, accountability software and a ventilation saw
Georgia
- Gwinnett County Department of Fire Emergency Services, Lawrenceville — $11,477 for a thermal imaging camera
Idaho
- Blackfoot Fire Department, Blackfoot — $6,500 for a cardiac simulator mannequin
- Ucon Fire Departmen, Ucon — $5,270 for new fire hose and firefighting equipment
Indiana
- Gary Fire Department, Gary — $18,481 for safety program equipment
Illinois
- Hinsdale Fire Department, Hinsdale — $14,000 for retrofitting of fire engines with inboard generators
- Schaumburg Fire Department, Schaumburg — $25,000 for rescue and training equipment
New Jersey
- Kinnelon Volunteer Fire Company, Kinnelon — $11,137 for a thermal imaging camera
New York
- Commack Fire Department, Commack — $5,657 for tents for firefighter rehab and fire safety training
- Jefferson County Volunteer Fire Chiefs & Firefighters Association, Watertown — $8,275 for firefighter training
- Lackawanna Fire Department, Lackawanna — $12,200 for fire rescue, communications and EMS equipment
- FDNY, New York City — $50,000 for FDNY High School fire safety and pre-EMT education
- White Plains Fire Department, White Plains — $8,990 for cutter and spreader tools
Pennsylvania
- George Clay Fire Company, Conshohocken — $10,000 for radio communication equipment
- Oakmont Fire Company, Oakmont — $5,000 for rescue stabilization equipment
- Philadelphia Fire Department, Philadelphia — $12,000 for fitness equipment
South Carolina
- Pelham-Batesville Fire Department, Greer — $10,000 for a 4-wheel ATV for heavy and water rescue
Tennessee
- Karns Volunteer Fire Department, Knoxville — $35,000 for communications equipment and thermal imaging cameras
- Lebanon Fire Department, Lebanon — $5,865 for portable radios
Texas
- Taylor Fire Department, Taylor — $10,000 for a thermal imaging camera
A complete list of grants (pdf) is available at www.firemansfund.com/heritage.
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