FIRE DEPARTMENT AWARDED $39K GRANT FOR FIREFIGHTER SAFETY EQUIPMENT

RAHWAY – Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company recently announced it is awarding the Rahway Fire Department a grant in the amount of $39,168 for the purchase of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and spare air bottles.  Firefighters use this equipment, which provides a continuous flow of compressed, breathable air, to safely enter a building or environment contaminated by smoke or hazardous materials.

“We were very overwhelmed when Fireman's Fund came to notify us about the grant,” said Rahway Fire Chief Harold Stahl.  “This equipment is vital to the safety of our firefighters and will help us better protect this community. This funding will allow us to replace approximately one-third of our aging, heavy and deteriorating SCBA inventory.”

The fire department was nominated for this grant by a local Fireman’s Fund employee, Joanne Padavano, who is based in the company’s Liberty Corner, NJ office.  Fireman’s Fund employees and independent agents can direct grants and volunteer support to local fire departments, national firefighter organizations and fire and burn prevention non-profit organizations through the Fireman’s Fund Heritage^SM program.  This initiative is the company’s long-term philanthropic mission to support firefighters for safer communities. Grants are awarded for the purchase of equipment, fire prevention tools, firefighter training, fire safety education and community emergency response programs.  Since 2004, Fireman’s Fund has awarded more than $4 million in grants to local fire departments, national firefighter organizations and non-profit fire and burn prevention organizations across the country.

“I lived in Rahway for most of my life, and it’s a very rewarding experience to have an opportunity to direct a grant to a fire department in this community,” said Padavano, a Fireman’s Fund regional commercial underwriter.  “I’m proud to work for a company that empowers its employees to support local firefighters.  My husband is a member of the Rahway Fire Department so I have a personal interest in firefighter safety.  Now, as a Fireman's Fund employee, I'm glad to have had the chance to give back to the firefighters who do so much to keep our communities safe."

“As an insurance company, we share a common goal with firefighters – to protect our communities,” said Darryl Siry, Fireman’s Fund vice president and executive director of Fireman’s Fund Heritage.  “We want every Fireman’s Fund employee to share ownership of our social mission by providing them with an opportunity to direct grants to fire departments and local non-profit fire and burn prevention organizations in the communities where they live and work.’”

In addition to being able to direct grants under the Fireman’s Fund Heritage “Bucket Brigade” program, employees and the employees of agencies offering Fireman’s Fund products are encouraged to support firefighters at the grassroots level.  Through the Bucket Brigade program, employees learn about opportunities to volunteer at local fire departments.

The program for employees was named after the community-based approach to firefighting in the days before fire hydrants.  Citizens banded together to form a “bucket brigade” – a line to pass buckets of water to fight fires.  Similarly, Fireman’s Fund employees and its network of independent agents are joining forces to support firefighters.  In addition to the grant to the Rahway Fire Department, in the first quarter of 2005, Fireman’s Fund is awarding 15 additional grants totaling close to $300,000 to fire departments in communities across the nation.

About Fireman’s Fund Heritage

Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company has a long history of supporting the fire service.  The company was founded in 1863 with the mission to allocate a portion of its profits to support firefighters. Today, the company is carrying forward this mission to support firefighters for safer communities through the Fireman’s Fund Heritage program.  The corporate philanthropy program was created in response to the funding challenges that have left many volunteer and paid fire departments without adequate resources.  First on the scene of any emergency, firefighters respond to natural disasters, accidents, medical emergencies, chemical spills and terrorist attacks – as well as fires – despite increasingly limited resources.  This year, Fireman's Fund plans to support firefighters by awarding millions of dollars in grants through the Fireman's Fund Heritage program.

About Fireman’s Fund

Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company is a premier property and casualty insurance company providing personal, commercial and specialty insurance products nationwide. Fireman’s Fund is a member of the Allianz Group (NYSE: AZ), one of the world’s largest providers of property and casualty insurance and other financial services. For more information about the company or the Fireman’s Fund Heritage program, visit www.firemansfund.com or call (866) 440-8716.