National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and Fireman's Fund Insurance Company Announce Grant Recipients

BALTIMORE, Md. (July 26, 2007) - It has quickly become one of the most important pieces of equipment any firefighter can have, and now fire departments in eight communities across the country will receive the most modern, high-tech versions of the tool.

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and Fireman's Fund Insurance Company today announced the fire departments selected to receive a thermal imaging camera and other equipment from the "Into the Fire" grant program.

After careful review by representatives of the NFFF, 11 recipients were chosen out of more than 1,249 proposals. The combined value of all grants is more than $90,000.

"The pure number of applications to this grant program show how desperate local fire departments are to get new thermal imagers," said Ron Siarnicki, Executive Director of the NFFF.

Each camera, valued at approximately $10,000, uses updated technology to enable firefighters to "see" through smoke and darkness to quickly locate anyone trapped in a building during a fire.

"Thermal imaging cameras are used every day around the country to find victims and save lives," said Danielle Cagan, Heritage program director at Fireman's Fund. "We are proud to be part of this program which is designed to make local communities safer."

"Into the Fire" Grant recipients

Fire Department	City	Equipment
Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District	Lincoln, IL	Thermal Imaging Camera & $1,475 for new bail out bags
City of Henderson Fire Dept.	Henderson, NC	Thermal Imaging Camera
Cresson Vol. Fire Company	Cresson, PA	Thermal Imaging Camera
Rolling Oaks Vol. Fire Dept.	Wills Point, TX	Thermal Imaging Camera
Crystal Fire Co. No. 1	Jermyn, PA	Thermal Imaging Camera
Houston Rural Fire Association	Houston, MO	Thermal Imaging Camera
Cutler VFC	Cutler VFC Camp Douglas, WI	Thermal Imaging Camera
Oolitic Volunteer Fire Dept.	Oolitic, IN	$ 4,400 for new mounting equipment
Clay Fire & Rescue	Clay, KY	$2,210 for new AED
Palmer Lake VFD	Palmer Lake, CO	$2650 for new gas detector
Saluda County Fire Service	Saluda, SC	Thermal Imaging Camera

The grant program is funded by money raised from DVD sales, T-shirt sales, screening events, and other fundraising related to the "Into the Fire" documentary. DVDs can be purchased at www.firemansfund.com/heritage. Fireman's Fund donates $7 from each DVD sale to the fire service. Purchasers may elect to direct a portion of this amount ($5) to their local fire department via a drop-down menu organized by ZIP code. The remaining $2, or all $7 if no fire department designation is made, goes to the "Into the Fire" fund.

Fireman's Fund has a longstanding commitment of supporting the fire service and making communities safer. Since 2004, Fireman's Fund HeritageSM, the company's philanthropic program, has donated more than $13 million to over 450 different fire departments across the country.

About National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF)

The United States Congress created the NFFF to lead a nationwide effort to remember America's fallen firefighters. Since 1992, the nonprofit foundation has developed and expanded programs to honor fallen fire heroes and assist their families and coworkers. With the support of fire and life safety organizations and funding from Fireman's Fund and the Department of Homeland Security, the NFFF launched a major initiative to reduce firefighter deaths. Its goal is to reduce line-of-duty firefighter deaths by 25 percent in five years.

About Fireman's Fund

Founded in 1863, 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 insurance and other financial services. For more information, visit www.firemansfund.com.