San Francisco Fire Department to Fight Cancer, Boost Community Education Programs with $25,000 Donation Private Gift to Improve Community and Firefighter Safety
San Francisco, CA – Founded in San Francisco in 1863, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company is kicking off the company’s 150th anniversary celebration with a $25,000 gift to the San Francisco Fire Department. The funds will support community outreach programs as well as research on the high rate of cancers among firefighters. This marks $250,000 in funds the company has awarded to the San Francisco Fire Department since 2004, purchasing life-saving items including search and rescue tools, high-tech thermal imaging equipment and community education materials.
While all firefighters are exposed to toxic environments on a regular basis, female firefighters in San Francisco are six times more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than women between the ages of 40 and 50 in the U.S. A portion of the funds will support the Women Firefighter Biomonitoring program to help identify breast carcinogens and potential exposures, ultimately reducing the number of cancer cases among firefighters in San Francisco and across the country. The funds will also be used to create a Firefighter recruitment video, as well as purchase various media equipment used for public service announcements and presentations.
“This funding enables us to focus on some critical issues -- firefighter cancers and community outreach — which are some of the top priorities for our fire department,” said Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White. “We are very appreciative of this gift and all the support we’ve received from Fireman’s Fund. This is a wonderful example of a public-private partnership that helps make San Francisco safer for all those who live in, work in or visit our wonderful city.”
San Francisco Fire Department officials, firefighters, representatives of the Women Firefighter Biomonitoring Program and executives from Fireman’s Fund will come together for this special public event to present the gift:
Date/Time
Thursday, April 4, 2013
5:00 p.m.
Location
Old Mint Building
Mint Plaza, Fifth and Mission Street
San Francisco, CA
This gift presentation will kick off the Fireman’s Fund 150th Anniversary celebration, which will include a national traveling exhibit that is opening for a private reception immediately following the gift presentation. The exhibit will be open to the public on Friday, April 5 from 11 AM to 2 PM and will showcase displays of historic photographs, artifacts and items from the company’s long and colorful history, as well as artifacts from the San Francisco Fire Department Museum.
“This donation launches our traveling exhibit in a very meaningful way by addressing issues that are critical to both the fire service and the community,” said Lori Fouché, CEO of Fireman’s Fund. “While we celebrate our company’s history, we also must look forward. With this grant, we are honored to support initiatives that help firefighters overcome some of the more modern challenges they face.”
The funds are part of a nationwide philanthropic program funded by Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company. Through the program, donations are awarded to fire service organizations for life-saving equipment, firefighter training and community education programs. Since 2004, Fireman’s Fund has awarded grants to more than 1,900 different organizations totaling more than $30 million.
To learn more about the donation program and grants awarded in California, visit www.firemansfund.com/heritage or http://firemansfundtimeline.com/?year=2013&story=TheHeritageProgramatFiremansFund
About Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company
Founded in 1863, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company is a premier property and casualty insurance company providing personal and commercial insurance products backed by industry-leading claims and risk management solutions.
Fireman’s Fund is a leader in high-net-worth, entertainment, and green insurance. Fireman’s Fund is a member of the Allianz Group, one of the world’s largest providers of property and casualty insurance, ranked 28th on Fortune’s Global 500 list of the world’s largest corporations. For additional information, visit www.firemansfund.com.