 According to the American Cancer Society, cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, exceeded only by heart disease. In the US, approximately 39 out of 100 men and 38 out of 100 women will develop cancer during their lifetime. In the United States, 1,762,450 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2019. This estimate does not include carcinoma in situ (noninvasive cancer) of any site except urinary bladder, nor does it include basal cell or squamous cell skin cancers because these are not required to be reported to cancer registries. About 606,880 Americans are expected to die of cancer in 2019, which translates to about 1,660 deaths per day. A breakdown of some of the most common types of cancer and the estimated number of new cancer cases and deaths in the US for 2019:
In Texas, 124,890 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2019 and 41,300 Texans are expected to die of cancer in 2019. To put this into perspective, the number of new cancer cases expected in Texas in 2019 is similar to the entire city population of Round Rock, Carrollton, Abilene, The Woodlands or Pearland. The expected number of cancer deaths in Texas in 2019 is similar to the entire city population of San Marcos, Grapevine, Galveston, Spring or DeSoto. According to Forbes (contributor Arlene Weintraub on August 10, 2017), the median monthly out-of-pocket costs for cancer treatments is $703 or $8,436 annually. This is where WinStar Insurance Group can help. Cancer / Critical Illness Insurance helps supplement your major medical coverage by providing a lump-sum benefit that you can use to pay direct and indirect costs. For more information or a free quote on Cancer / Critical Illness insurance, contact Tom Newby at 512-628-5189 or tnewby@winstarins.com.
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CONGRATULATIONS to the following recipients of the 2019 Emergency Responder Health and Wellness Grant sponsored by VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual! We received a record-breaking 126 grant applications requesting more than $542,000. Award letters will be sent to each of these recipients in the next few days.
Applications for the 2020 Health & Wellness Grant will open in July/August 2019. Stay tuned!  Every organization operating today has key people that help it remain successful and profitable. Although most organizations insure their property and assets, few think to insure their most precious assets--the men and women whose education, experience, talent, and judgment contributes substantially to the financial success of the organization. Loss of a key person can adversely affect the organization’s operating efficiency, and will cause expenses related to finding his/her replacement.
Typical losses associated with losing a key person include:
Closely held organizations are particularly at risk since there are typically one or two people whose skill and contacts make the organization operate effectively. This is incredibly true for certain high ranking members of fire departments. How Key Person Insurance Works The organization purchases a key person life insurance policy on the key employee. The organization is the owner and beneficiary of the policy. There is no one special key person policy. The organization should choose the policy that best fits its needs. · The organization makes non-deductible premium payments and retains all ownership rights. Cash values inside the policy grow tax-free. If the key person dies, the organization will receive income tax free death proceeds if the two requirements of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 are met:
Considerations
To learn more about Key Person Insurance or to get a Quote, contact our Employee Benefits Sales Executive Tom Newby at (512) 628-5189 or tnewby@winstarins.com.
Check out the video above showcasing Tanglewood VFD & how they utilized their 2018 Grant funds
2019 Emergency Responder Health & Wellness Grant - VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual Insurance Company are once again pleased to sponsor a need-based Health & Wellness Grant program for fire departments and non-profit EMS organizations in Texas. Grants up to $5,000 will be awarded based on financial need and are intended to encourage participation in a health & wellness program to prevent emergency responder deaths and injuries. Departments will need to apply for the grant, expend the funds and then send in copies of receipts in order to receive the grant funds Grant application deadline is December 31, 2018.
Who is eligible:
What is eligible:
How it works:
**THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IS DECEMBER 31, 2018.** DOWNLOAD GRANT APPLICATION HERE How to Apply: Mail to: VFIS of Texas 3420 Executive Center Dr, #301 Austin, TX 78731 Fax to: 512-448-9929 E-mail to: vfisoftexas@vfistx.com 2020 Grant Applications will be Open around July/August 2019. Subscribe to our Newsletter to be Notified:
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 2019 Rural Volunteer Fire Department Insurance Program (HB 3667) - The Rural Volunteer Fire Department Insurance Program (HB 3667) is a grant program designed to reimburse eligible volunteer fire departments for the purchase of insurance from private insurance companies. Eligible coverage includes any combination of compensation insurance for firefighters (workers’ compensation, death, and/or disability insurance) purchased from Texas insurance companies. The program will reimburse 100% of the actual cost of eligible insurance coverage up to a maximum of $175 per fire department member.
Recognized, non-profit volunteer fire departments operated by its members are eligible. Any part-paid/part-volunteer department is also eligible, provided the number of paid members is 20 or less. Departments may enter into agreements with cities or counties in order to qualify for coverage and/or special premiums. All eligible departments must participate in a firefighter certification program administered under Section 419.071 of the Texas Government Code (Texas Commission on Fire Protection), or by the State Firemen’s and Fire Marshal’s Association of Texas (SFFMA), or by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG). TO APPLY, PLEASE COMPLETE AND SUBMIT BEFORE JULY 31, 2019: 1) Rural Volunteer Fire Department Application for Grant Assistance (Form TFS-FO-408) 2) Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification (IRS Form W-9) 3) Roster of active fire department members. 4) Copy of a Payroll Classification Schedule Page 1 and 2, or a copy of the current paid insurance policy which provides insurance coverage during the calendar year 2018, or payment receipt for a workers’ compensation insurance policy, or death insurance policy, or disability insurance policy. IMPORTANT NOTES: • The policy or payment documents must show the policy number, the cost or premium amount and the coverage period. • All required reimbursement documents must accompany the 2019 grant application form. • Applications, either complete or incomplete, arriving after July 31, 2019 are not eligible for reimbursement. • ONLY ONE application per department will be reimbursed for the enrollment period of November 2018 thru July 31, 2019. All forms can be found at texasfd.com/RuralVFDInsuranceProgram or by contacting the Capacity Building Department. SUBMIT VIA FAX, EMAIL OR MAIL FAX TO: Texas A&M Forest Service 200 Technology Way, Suite 1162 College Station, Texas 77845-3424 P: 979-458-6505 F: 979-845-6160 Email: ffins@tfs.tamu.edu Website: TexasFD.com Yesterday, VFIS of Texas along with Texas Mutual Insurance Company & the American Heart Association, we honored first responders while commemorating 9/11. Our employees/owners delivered care packages to local firefighters and emergency medical responders to show our appreciation for everything they do keep our communities safe. Departments we visited included Travis County ESD #1, Travis County ESD #12, Travis County ESD #3- Oak Hill EMT Academy, Travis County ESD #5 - Manchaca Fire Rescue, Travis County ESD #10, Lake Travis Fire Rescue, San Marcos Hays County EMS, Hutto Fire Rescue, Williamson County EMS, Westlake Fire Department, & Wimberley EMS.
From insurance, training, and wellness grants to assisting in the development of future first responders, we're committed to supporting those that keep our communities safe. Thanks to all first responders for helping build a stronger, safer Texas. More Photos: https://www.facebook.com/VFISofTX/posts/1895759773850377  Photo courtesy of Pearsall VFD 2019 Emergency Responder Health & Wellness Grant - VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual Insurance Company are once again pleased to sponsor a need-based Health & Wellness Grant program for fire departments and non-profit EMS organizations in Texas. Grants up to $5,000 will be awarded based on financial need and are intended to encourage participation in a health & wellness program to prevent emergency responder deaths and injuries. Departments will need to apply for the grant, expend the funds and then send in copies of receipts in order to receive the grant funds Grant application deadline is December 31, 2018.
Who is eligible:
What is eligible:
How it works:
**THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IS DECEMBER 31, 2018.** DOWNLOAD GRANT APPLICATION HERE How to Apply: Mail to: VFIS of Texas 3420 Executive Center Dr, #301 Austin, TX 78731 Fax to: 512-448-9929 E-mail to: vfisoftexas@vfistx.com  Tanglewood VFD firefighters (Before & After training equipment earned through Health & Wellness grant) VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual Insurance Company are pleased to once again sponsor a need-based Health & Wellness Grant program for fire departments and non-profit EMS organizations in Texas. Grants up to $5,000 will be awarded based on financial need and are intended to encourage participation in a health & wellness program to prevent emergency responder deaths and injuries. Departments will need to apply for the grant, expend the funds and then send in copies of receipts in order to receive the grant funds.
Grant applications will open on July 1. You can find more info on our grants at www.vfistx.com/grant-information.  Texas Mutual is proud to announce that their board of directors has approved a $280 million dividend distribution! This year's record-breaking payout brings the total distribution to $2.5 billion. In 1999, Texas Mutual paid their first dividend and this year marks the 20th year of the program. They are proud to continue this tradition.
Dividends will be mailed to over 50,000 qualifying policyholder owners, including many VFIS of Texas Workers Comp policyholders, beginning in late June. If your department doesn't have Workers Comp, but are interested in a Quote, please contact us at vfisoftexas@vfistx.com or (800) 252-9435. To read Texas Mutual's full press release, please click the link below. READ MORE Through an AFG FP&S grant, FIRST is now administering the FOCUS survey on a first-come, first-served basis to 500 fire departments -- career and volunteer – a $10,000 to $15,000 value at NO COST. Get the new tool to FOCUS your department on a safer culture The Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) and the Center for Firefighter Injury Research & Safety Trends (FIRST) at Drexel University have partnered to help you FOCUS on your safety culture. FOCUS- the Fire Service Organizational Culture of Safety survey- was developed through the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant R&D Program specifically for the fire service and is a tool that will provide your fire department with objective data to assess your safety culture. A validation study showed for every 10-point increase in FOCUS score, there is on average a...
 “...In my heart I believe that we promote a safe culture…, but it was gratifying to see that others in our organization believe this to be true also…I like the fact that I can now put actual numbers to what has previously been a ‘gut feeling’.” – Fire Chief “We are very appreciative for the insight, and the data gives me a goal to shoot for and a way to measure it. Some of the info I had a gut feeling about, but others were completely a surprise.” – Fire Chief Now through an AFG FP&S grant, FIRST is administering the FOCUS survey on a first-come, first-served basis to 500 fire departments -- career and volunteer – at no cost. Interested in administering FOCUS?
Fill out this WORKSHEET (you’ll need to enter the data online, so doing it before will save you time) Filled out the Worksheet? Submit your information online HERE PLEASE NOTE: Only one entry per fire department will be accepted (i.e. Chief, Commissioner, Safety Officer). In addition, FIRST strongly encourages departments to involve their IAFF Local in FOCUS Assessment, if applicable. Need additional information about FOCUS & what’s involved in assessment? CLICK HERE After administering the FOCUS survey your fire department will receive:
“This training takes you into the world of data and science. Learning to understand data and science allows departments to go deeper into the world of safety. In time this will allow facts to be the rule in place of opinion or theory.” – FOCUS Culture Camp Participant “I believe the part where we broke down the data for our organization was the most enjoyable. It helped me understand more about my organization and what I must do when I return home to prepare our people for the future of improving our safety culture. It showed me that the people are the ones that create the safety culture in any organization.”– FOCUS Culture Camp Participant Please direct any questions to either of the following FIRST Team members: Andrea Davis Senior Project Manager aly25@drexel.edu, 267-359-6059 Lauren Shepler Outreach & Communications Manager ljs326@drexel.edu, 336-309-1411 The FIRST Center website: www.drexel.edu/dornsife/FIRST FDSOA’s Website: https://www.fdsoa.org/ |
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VFIS of Texas NEWSHere you will find helpful information regarding firefighters, ems responders, and updates in insurance policies. 
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Licensed & doing business in the following states only: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, & Mississippi
Licensed & doing business in the following states only: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, & Mississippi