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Grant Stories
Through the Fireman's Fund Heritage program, independent agents across the country who carry Fireman's Fund insurance 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. A complete list of all grants given by Fireman's Fund in the month of April can be found below.
This month we feature the story of two Burbank, Calif., firefighters who recently survived a dangerous flashover. They credit knowing when to get out of the fire to training at a flashover training facility funded through a Fireman's Fund Heritage grant. The grant was directed by local independent insurance agency DeWitt Stern Group.
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Captain Michael Malloy
and firefighter Dushone Roman, Burbank, Calif., Fire Department
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Helping To Save Lives
Arriving on scene at a house fire, Captain Michael Malloy and rookie firefighter Dushone Roman responded to the distraught homeowner's request to rescue the family dog. At first the firefighters believed it was safe to enter. "Unfortunately," says Captain Malloy, we saw flashover conditions and had to back out."
Moments later, the small fire burst into a fully-involved structural fire — with ceilings and walls ablaze. "If we hadn't received the training, we would have gone deeper into the house," Malloy says.
Last year, DeWitt Stern Group directed one of several Fireman's Fund Heritage grants to the Burbank Fire Department for a sophisticated flashover training facility that will be used to train firefighters throughout the region. The training facility is part of a comprehensive training program that lets firefighters experience the deadly phenomenon in a controlled environment so they can prepare themselves for real-life situations. It is this training that proved so valuable to Malloy and Roman. Susan Borders of DeWitt Stern was thrilled when she heard Captain Malloy's story and tells us, "I almost started crying."
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Captain Malloy at the official unveiling of the
flashover training facility. |
The training combines classroom sessions with the invaluable experience of sitting in a flashover environment, like a small house on fire, when a flashover occurs. This artificial environment is a steel shipping container that has been modified to create a realistic flashover while protecting trainees.
When the grant was first awarded, Lew Stone, president of the Burbank Fire Fighters, Local No. 778, wrote to personally thank us, saying that "these containers will facilitate the training of hundreds of firefighters in the most dangerous aspect of our profession" and calling the Fireman's Fund Heritage program a "testament to how seriously you take fire and life safety."
Share Your Story
Has a Fireman's Fund Heritage grant helped your fire department save a life or even property? We'd love to hear about it so that we can remind our employees and agents about the true value of this program. Please email heritage@ffic.com.
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Grants in Brief |
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Our agents and employees are directing grants to fire departments across the country. Congratulations to the most recent Fireman's Fund Heritage grant recipients:
California
- Hermosa Beach Fire Department, Hermosa Beach — $9,229 for public and safety education programs
Colorado
- Basalt & Rural Fire Protection District, Carbondale — $8,935 for an all-terrain response vehicle
- Carbondale Fire Department, Carbondale — $9,000 for A/V equipment for firefighter training
- Glenwood Springs Fire Department, Glenwood Springs — $9,000 for turnout gear
Florida
- Coral Springs Fire Department — $8,935 for an all-terrain response vehicle
- Deland Fire Department, Deland — $10,000 for an interactive educational fire safety robot and CERT utility trailer
- Clay County Fire Department, Green Cove Springs — $10,000 for firefighter safety and training
- Lakeland Fire Department, Lakeland — $10,000 for Sparky the Firedog® costume and interactive educational fire safety robot
Hawaii
- Honolulu Fire Department, Honolulu — $30,000 for extrication equipment
- Hawaii County Fire Department, Kamuela — $12,500 for firefighter instructor training
Indiana
- Liberty Volunteer Fire Department, Liberty — $10,000 for turnout gear
Illinois
- Elizabeth Community Fire Protection District, Elizabeth — $7,380 for air packs with PASS devices and face pieces
- Stockton Fire Department, Stockton — $9,800 for a Bullard® T4 thermal imaging camera
- Worth Fire Department, Worth — $13,455 for a thermal imaging camera
Louisiana
- Baton Rouge Fire Department, Baton Rouge — $6,770 for fire safety educational materials
- Lake Charles Fire Department, Lake Charles — $10,000 for a firefighter wellness and fitness program
- St. Tammany Parish Fire Protection District #1, Slidell — $5,000 for Advanced Life Support supplies and training mannequins
Maryland
- Lutherville Fire Department, Lutherville — $5,000 for a thermal imaging camera
- Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department, Sandy Spring — $7,197 for two defibrillators and three GPS units
- Burtonsville Volunteer Fire Department, Silver Spring — $7,198 for four defibrillators
Mississippi
- Waveland Fire Department, Waveland — $36,000 for hydraulic rescue equipment and firefighting equipment for apparatus
New Jersey
- Clark Fire Department, Clark — $15,030 for extrication/rescue tools upgrade
- Newark Fire Department, Newark — $22,235 for two vehicles for community education and outreach programs
New York
- South Farmingdale Fire Department, Farmingdale — $6,000 for two defibrillators
North Carolina
- South Iredell Volunteer Fire Department, South Iredell — $12,695 for an air tank fill station
Ohio
- Uhrichsville Fire Department, Uhrichsville — $10,000 for a thermal imaging camera
Tennessee
- Nashville Fire Department, Nashville — $23,405 for a defibrillator and fire extinguisher community education and training
Texas
- China Volunteer Fire Department, China — $10,000 for hand-held and mobile radios and turnout gear
- Crowley Fire Department, Crowley — $12,500 for apparatus-mounted computers for dispatch communications
- Giddings Volunteer Fire Department — $7,465 for replacement of the skid (pump system) unit for brush truck
- Midland Fire Department — $5,000 for firefighter fitness equipment
- Lindale Fire Department — $4,925 for SCBA face pieces, voice amplifiers, and fire hose
Washington
- Grays Harbor Fire District #2, Aberdeen — $18,753 for portable radios and pagers
A complete list of grants (pdf) is available at www.firemansfund.com/heritage.
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