HARRISONBURG, Va. – Rockingham County continues to grow and the need for career and volunteer firefighters increases each year. Now, thanks to a $5,000 grant, high school students enrolled in the Massanutten Technical Center's Fire and Rescue program will receive enhanced training.
BB&T Insurance Services, Inc. and Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company are partnering to award Rockingham County Fire & Rescue, which supports the Technical Center, the donation.
Donated funds are earmarked for training videos that will be utilized by the Technical Center's Fire and Rescue program, which prepares high school students to be career and volunteer firefighters. Specifically, grant funds will purchase a set of 33 DVDs titled, "Essentials of Fire Fighting - Firefighter I” and “Essentials of Fire Fighting - Firefighter II.” The DVD series will also be used by Rockingham County Fire & Rescue personnel.
“We have projected a continued need for new firefighters over the next several years and know the Technical Center will be able to provide us with qualified individuals,”
The grant ceremony will be held in conjunction with the Massanutten Technical Center’s open house. Chief Symons will be joined by Technical Center representatives, local officials, and school board members, as executives from BB&T Insurance Services and Fireman’s Fund present the grant package.
Date/Time:
Tues., Nov. 3, 2009
4:30 p.m.
“This is an exciting time for the Technical Center as we have recently broken ground on our new Health and Public Safety building,” said Marianne E. LaRocco, assistant director of the Massanutten Technical Center. “As we expand, the training we’ll be able to incorporate as a result of this donation will ultimately enhance our fire and rescue program.”
“Having an office in Harrisonburg, we’re proud to support Rockingham County Fire & Rescue and the Massanutten Technical Center in a tangible way, especially in this economic climate,” said Thomas Beierle, vice president of BB&T Insurance Services. “Firefighters put themselves on the line everyday to protect people, so it’s essential they have the proper training to do their jobs as safely as possible.”
The grant package is part of a nationwide philanthropic program funded by Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company. The program is designed to provide needed equipment, training and educational tools to local fire departments and ambulance services. Since 2004, Fireman’s Fund has issued grants to over 1,400 different departments totaling more than $23 million. Independent insurance agencies that sell Fireman’s Fund products, like BB&T, are able to direct these grants to support fire departments.
About BB&T Insurance Services, Inc.
BB&T Insurance Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of Branch Banking and Trust Company and is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company is the largest independent insurance agency in Virginia and the Carolinas and the seventh largest in the country. To learn more, visit www.insurance.bbt.com.
Contact:
Danny Perry (Fireman's Fund)
T. 212.524.7892
C. 707.386.8476
dperry@ffic.com
