Fireman’s Fund Fights for Firefighters

The name Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co., founded in 1863 by ship captain William Holdredge, celebrates the founder’s arrangement to pay 10 percent of company profits to support the widows and orphans of firefighters.

To mark its 150th year anniversary the company kicked off a national celebration at The Old Mint in San Francisco, which will be followed by a traveling exhibit of historic items from the company’s history. The event in April drew several hundred industry professionals, politicians and members of the media.

During the event the company gave a $25,000 gift to the San Francisco Fire Department. The funds will go to support community outreach programs and research on the high rates of cancer found among firefighters. According to Fireman’s Fund, the donation brings the total funds the company has awarded to the fire department to $250,000 since 2004.

Through its Heritage Program, the company supports firefighters by providing grants for vital equipment and training.

Since 2004, when the Heritage Program was launched, Fireman’s Fund has donated more than $29 million in grants to more than 1,800 fire departments across the U.S., according to the company.

Speakers at the event talked about the company’s particular importance in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as in other locales where the insurer helped rebuild after catastrophes.

“Your history is the history of the city of San Francisco, the Bay Area, the state of California and our country,” said Congressman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, one of the dignitaries at the event.

One of the highlights of the event were displays in the building paying tribute to the James Bond films. Fireman’s Fund has insured all 23 of the 007 films, and had posters of the films, as well as and costumes worn by the Bond girls and the dapper agents themselves, including suits worn by some of the best known Bonds: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.