Fireman’s Cancels NY Firefighter Coverage

Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co., the insurance company famous for its fire hat logo, has decided to end its long run of insuring the union for New York City’s bravest.

The Uniformed Firefighters Assn. received a nonrenewal notice from Fireman’s on Wednesday, said Ken Hehir, the union’s independent insurance agent. The policy expires in November.

Mia Benedict, spokeswoman for the Novato, Calif.-based company, said the UFA was part of a group of unions with a joint insurance policy that no longer met Fireman’s Fund’s underwriting standards. She did not elaborate.

“Our understanding is that they think Manhattan’s too great of a risk and they don’t want to insure labor unions anymore,” said Tom Butler, spokesman for the 9,000-member union.

Benedict said the company could no longer insure some Manhattan clients because of the unpredictable risk of terrorist attacks, but she called Butler’s characterization incorrect.

“We do not find Manhattan to be too great of a risk,” she said. “We do want to insure both Manhattan and unions.”

Hehir said the company tried to pull out of the UFA last November, but that he had told Fireman’s Fund officials it was too soon after the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center, in which 343 firefighters were killed.