Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company awarded a $28,700 grant to Buffalo Firefighters along with several of its Western New York agency partners: Lawley Insurance, M&T Insurance, Walsh Insurance Group and First Niagara Risk Management. Mayor Byron W. Brown and Congressman Brian Higgins also assisted in the grant process.
The grant will allow the Buffalo Fire Department to jump start a
firefighter accountability initiative that will improve safety for all 700
firefighters during emergencies.
“We thank Fireman’s Fund and the four area businesses who have
partnered to make this very important investment in the Buffalo Fire Department,”
said Congressman Higgins.
“Whether providing fire protection services in the
city or participating in mutual aid operations beyond Buffalo’s borders, the
men and women of the Buffalo Fire Department display daily a level of
professionalism and bravery that is second to none,” Mayor Brown said. “This
investment will help fund the firefighter accountability initiative, which will
add significantly to the safety of all Buffalo firefighters.”
The firefighter accountability program will address existing gaps in
accountability at emergency scenes by:
– Issuing personalized tamper-proof
accountability tags to all members of the department.
– Providing all members with
standardized color-coded helmet shields with reflective panels for swift “fire
ground” accountability and company identification.
– Attaching fire company status
tag holders at each fire station and on each apparatus to help identify
individuals on duty.
“One of the best ways to support fire ground safety is to
constantly account for personnel working the scene,” said Fire Commissioner
Michael Lombardo. “This program will help us immensely in establishing a system
that will improve the safety and accountability of our firefighters at the
incident scene.”
Local officials including Mayor Brown joined Commissioner
Lombardo as the department accepted the grant package today. Lombardo discussed
the new accountability system at the check presentation at Buffalo Fire
Headquarters, 195 Court St.
“Working together to support and protect our firefighters is a
priority for all of us,” said Michael Lawley, a partner at Lawley Insurance. “We
are grateful to Fireman’s Fund and its mission to support the fire service in
communities across the country.”
The grant package is part of a nationwide philanthropic program
funded by Fireman’s Fund. The program is designed to provide needed equipment,
training and educational tools to local fire departments. Since 2004, Fireman’s
Fund has issued grants to more than 1,100 departments totaling more than $21
million. Independent insurance agencies/brokers that sell Fireman’s Fund
products are able to direct these grants to support fire departments.
Buffalo has the largest fire department in upstate New York and
responds to more than 60,000 calls per year with 10 engine and nine ladder
companies. The city has continued to fund equipment upgrades throughout the
department, notably in the fire investigation unit, which has led to a record
number of arson arrests (100 percent increase since 2005) and a 24 percent
decline in arson fires since 2005.
Photo: ECB