Milford Volunteer Fire Department awarded grant for bunker gear
Milford Fire Department grant. — Carolyn Parker and Peggy Duke of Fireman’s Fund Insurance presenting the bunker gear grant. (Cindy Sutherland)
Monday afternoon, September 29 many Milford Volunteer firefighters were gathered at the Milford Fire Department in anticipation of receiving a grant for bunker gear.
Peggy Duke with Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company out of Dallas came to Milford, Texas to present a grant of $12,744 for badly needed bunker gear replacement. She explained, “Our company started in 1863. When we first started, our philosophy was to support fire fighters. In the early days we gave 10 percent of our profits to the fire departments. Over the years it kind of got off that mark. So now we are committed once again. If it was a good idea back in 1863, it is a good idea now. Firefighters are asked to do more and more and more with less and less and less. So we are here to help them. We want them to be safe and we want them all to come home from the fires they are going to.”
Carolyn Parker, also with Fireman’s Fund Insurance out of Dallas, came along to present the grant. She is the bucket brigade captain for the Dallas office. The bucket brigade captain oversees people writing grants and promotes the writing of grants for fire departments.
Duke said,“This quarter most of the fire departments asked for bunker gear and were awarded the bunker gear. We gave away almost a million dollars this quarter. Every quarter our employees can sponsor a fire department anywhere in the United States. We then have employees that deliver them, write them and support them. It is a big fun thing to do and a very emotional thing to do. Our slogan is, ‘We help those who help us.’”
Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company gives away almost anything the fire departments need and can use from boats to go out on lakes, to the little safe houses where they teach kids about fires and how to crawl out of them.
Over the last three years Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company has given away $15 million to fire departments.
Chief Mark Jackson of the Milford Volunteer Fire department said, “We are just happy that we have this bunker gear and I won’t have to worry about my firefighters so much.”