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Our History & Values
Fireman's Fund Insurance Company began in 1863, in San Francisco, and our name reflects our colorful beginnings.

We were named for an arrangement in which we paid 10 percent of our profits to widows and orphans of firefighters - a social mission that today, through our Fireman's Fund Heritage® program, provides millions of dollars in grants for equipment, training and educational programs to fire departments across the country. Our history illustrates our company values -- innovative, dependable, and courageous.



The Journey Begins

Our first policy was one half-interest in 1,000 kegs of Boston syrup. The premium was $12 cash in advance.



Expansion
The company sent agents into California's rural gold country and the Pacific Northwest, and within a few years Fireman's Fund Insurance Company had policyholders throughout the United States.


Great Chicago Fire
While many insurers went bankrupt, Fireman's Fund paid all claims even though its losses exceeded its assets. This demonstration of endurance earned the company national prestige.


Boston Fire

A year after the fire in Chicago, another major fire devastated Boston. Once again, Fireman's Fund was there to pay all claims.



Virginia City Fire

Three-quarters of the mining city of Virginia City, Nevada was destroyed. Thanks to the efforts of Fireman's Fund and others, the mining town was rebuilt in 18 months.



Grain

Fireman's Fund issued its first policy for grain. More than a century later, the company is still an important insurer in the agribusiness industry.



Global Expansion

The opening of the Atlantic Marine department in New York was an important step for the company's worldwide growth.



The Automobile

Fireman's Fund was the first insurance company to cover the new "horseless carriages."



San Francisco Earthquake

The company's headquarters were completely destroyed, but Fireman's Fund was able to pay the claims of all of its policyholders with a combination of cash and stock.



In the Air

Fireman's Fund issued the first airplane insurance policy in the world.



Motion Pictures

Fireman's Fund insured movie studios concerned about the risk of introducing "talkies."  Since then, the company has insured movies ranging from Top Gun to Lord of the Rings.



Charles Lindbergh

Fireman's Fund insured the construction of Spirit of St. Louis, which was flown non-stop from New York to Paris by aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh.



Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate bridge construction, underwritten by a Fireman’s Fund surety bond, is complete.



Continued growth
For the first time, Fireman's Fund's premium income tops $100 million. By 1957, the number would reach nearly $300 million.


New Headquarters

More than 90 years after its founding, Fireman's Fund moved its headquarters to a modern facility in San Francisco's Laurel Heights neighborhood.



American Express

Fireman's Fund was acquired by American Express through an exchange of stock.  The company would once again become independent in 1985.



Apollo II

The company wrote a $10 million policy on a national tour of the Apollo II space capsule.



Moving North

By the early 1980s, Fireman's Fund had outgrown its San Francisco home and began its migration 30 miles north to Novato, California.



Loma Prieta
Fireman's Fund played a major role in helping the Bay Area recover from the "15 seconds that changed San Francisco."


Allianz
Fireman's Fund was acquired by Allianz AG, and is now a member of one of the largest insurance groups in the world.


Northridge Quake

The 1994 tremor that rocked the Los Angeles area proved to be the costliest in American history. Fireman's Fund agents helped home and business owners restore their normal lives.



9/11

All of the company's New York employees survived the attacks on the World Trade Center, where Fireman's Fund's offices were located. Fireman’s Fund was quick to pay claims resulting from the attack.



San Diego Wildfires

When more than 1500 homes were destroyed by a cedar fire in San Diego, Fireman's Fund agents worked with homeowners and businesses to pay their claims.



Pioneered Single Deductible
Fireman's Fund led the insurance industry in voluntarily allowing Florida customers a single deductible if they had been hit by more than one of the four major hurricanes that hit the state in that season.


Hurricanes
Fireman's Fund adjusters and agents were among the first civilians allowed into the regions devastated by hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, where they provided policyholders with cash to help them begin to rebuild their lives.
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