CSFA Membership Benefits

Add Feedback

Share |

The California State Firefighters Association (CSFA) offers its members many benefits ranging from insurance plans to fire service training to discounts on travel. Several of these benefits are complementary with membership, while others are offered at deep discounts to CSFA members.

CSFA Insurance Benefits

Insurance is one of the major benefits offered to CSFA members. CSFA's insurance carriers provide members with excellent prices and coverage on home, auto, disability and life insurance policies.

Many members take advantage of CSFA's heath insurance offerings. Through HealthNet, CSFA provides coverage to individual firefighters who do not have it through their fire departments and also to entire fire departments as a group policy. According to Greg Redden of CSFA, firefighters are less expensive to insure than the general public because of their mandatory physical fitness programs and annual physical screenings. He says, "We've had a couple different fire districts that insure with us because they were able to get a lower rate with our carriers because it was just the firefighters, and so we broke the firefighters away from the city plan and insured them as a group on their own."

California Casualty has been offering CSFA members home and auto insurance policies at a discount for the past 35 years. The company offers members value-added benefits with their policies. For example, they receive $500 personal property protection, which protects turnout gear and other personal property. Also, should a firefighter die in the line of duty, the policy will pay for itself for the remainder of the year and the following year to continue coverage for the surviving family members.

Myers, Stevens & Toohey offers CSFA members group life insurance plans of up to $100,000, and according to Eric Swartz, a Marketing Executive with the firm, if a fire department does not have full CSFA membership, individuals can get life insurance policies of up to $500,000. Members can also obtain discounted disability insurance.

Fire Service Training Institute

In addition to its insurance benefits, the California State Firefighters Association offers its members discounted training opportunities through the Fire Service Training Institute (FSTI). The non-profit arm of CSFA offers public safety training to various agencies whether they are paid or volunteer, according to Michael Williams, the President of the Fire Service Training Institute.

CSFA Travel Discounts

Additionally, John Dane, the Executive Director of CSFA, says that the organization is expanding its "lifestyle benefits", which include discounts on weekend getaways and places where firefighters like to spend their time on vacation. The organization did a survey of its members to determine what they liked to do in their free time, and based on the findings of this study, they partnered with various groups to offer their members these types of discounts.

Added Benefits for Volunteer Fire Departments

Volunteer fire departments receive an added incentive as part of their membership. Through the EF Recovery group, CSFA helps its volunteer departments to recover the costs on spill clean-up services at motor vehicle accidents. James Figueira of EF Recovery explains, "What we do is we work with the fire departments and municipalities to recover those costs from motor vehicle accidents where fluids are on the ground, and they have to be properly secured, picked up and disposed of."

Cost of Membership

All CSFA members receive the California Fire Service Magazine, the CSFA e-newsletter and access to the CSFA website. Yearly dues for firefighters and associations are $75.00, and for retired firefighters, students, and explorers it is $37.50. For more information on CSFA's benefits and how to become a member, visit www.csfa.net.

To watch Barbara Brooks' report on other benefits offered to CSFA members, click here.