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Firefighters are used to just jumping right into the fray of things and, like all first responders, deserve some special treatment for helping keep the rest of us safe. That’s why a lot of companies offer discounts on auto insurance for firefighters and first responders.

You don’t have time to research all of the types of car insurance discounts that are out there, so we’ve taken care of it for you.

In this article, we will go over what you should expect when shopping for car insurance for firefighters and other first responders.

We’ll also see just how these rates are calculated and whether you’ll be found at fault for an accident that happens when you’re driving the fire truck or other emergency vehicles.

Compare auto insurance for firefighters and maximize firefighter discounts and volunteer firefighter discounts in your local area by entering your ZIP code in the free online quote tool.

How much are auto insurance rates for firefighters?

How much will you expect to pay for that important auto insurance for first responders? With more than a quarter-million firefighters in the country, insurers look at this specific occupation and its risk.

Firefighters pay about $1,896 every year for their auto insurance.

That works out to about $158 a month and $948 every six months. In recent years, most Americans pay their car insurance premiums every six months.

Many factors go into how much you’re going to pay for your auto policy. These are varied, but they include your credit score, where you live, and your gender and marital status. We’ll get into that in-depth later on, so keep reading.

Also, your fire department may have some group auto firefighter insurance. Though this is rare, you may qualify for some special insurance plan due to your status with the fire department.

It’s always a good idea to check locally first to see if insurance is offered through your department. After doing that, feel free to use our site to compare policies.

Do firefighters get discounts on auto insurance?

How can I get a discount on GEICO insurance or anybody else who doesn’t offer much of a discount for being a firefighter?

There are plenty of discounts out there, down to just good driver discounts and LoJack discounts. LoJack helps by making it easier to recover your car if it gets stolen. How much does LoJack save on insurance? LoJack can help you save about 10 percent off of the comprehensive portion of your policy.

The most significant factor to impact your rates is your driving record, so keeping it free of DUIs and speeding tickets is how you’ll save the most.

When you sign up for or shop for auto insurance, it’s essential to talk to your insurance carrier and tell them what you do for a living. A firefighter is considered a high-risk occupation. However, being a firefighter would affect your life or health insurance much more than your auto insurance.

The International Association for Fire Fighters (IAFF) doesn’t offer discounts on car insurance; however, there are IAFF discounts for rental cars.

If you are in an accident, and your car needs to be in the shop, you may save more by using your IAFF rental car discount than using what is offered by your car insurance company.

Which auto insurance companies offer firefighter discounts?

What insurance companies offer first responder discounts? There are a few companies that offer special rates, specifically for first responders like firefighters. That’s because they’re lower-risk as drivers.

Most firefighters live in the communities where they work as a necessity for the job’s urgent nature. That means a shorter commute, and they’re usually not doing a nine to five either, so they miss the most-congested hours.

How can I get discounts on auto insurance? These companies offer some kind of a discount to firefighters for auto insurance:

• California Casualty
• Country Financial Auto Insurance
• Farmers Auto Insurance
• Liberty Mutual Auto Insurance
• Nationwide Auto Insurance

Not all companies lower your rates based on your job as a firefighter. A State Farm first responder discount doesn’t exist in most places, but these things change all the time.

What discounts does Farmers Insurance offer? They do have occupational discounts in some states — you will need to call and ask what is available where you live.

Here are some occupation-related discounts we found for you:

Keep in mind that discounts vary by state, and the best way to find what you’re qualified for is to talk to your insurance agent.

Can I save on firefighter auto insurance by bundling policies?

Did you know that you can save up to 12 percent when you buy firefighter car insurance? If you own a home, your auto insurance provider may provide homeowner’s insurance.

Through homeowner’s insurance, you can bundle it with auto insurance. The same goes for renter’s insurance. Here’s a look at common annual savings when you bundle auto insurance to renters insurance and home insurance.

• $80/year for renters insurance
• $150/year for home insurance

There may be other insurance products that you can bundle into your car insurance. Ask your auto insurance company for more details. Next, let’s look at the payment method.

How can I save on firefighter auto insurance?

When you purchase a car insurance policy, you may have to deposit money to start coverage. However, paying your auto insurance policy in full can save you up to $85 per year.

If you prefer monthly payments, try using an automatic electronic fund transfer (EFT). You may be able to save up to $24 per year.

How much is usage-based firefighter auto insurance?

Some car insurance companies have usage-based auto insurance programs. These auto insurance programs provide discounts based on your driving habits, such as speed, hard braking, and distracted driving.

There’s a review period where they monitor your driving behaviors and grade your performance. Customers with good driving habits save more on auto insurance. Check out the savings from popular usage-based car insurance programs.

How can car insurance companies keep up with all of that? Auto insurance providers use telematics. Telematics is a device that sends information to your auto insurance company about your driving behavior.

This device could be a Bluetooth beacon that fits in your vehicle’s OBD port, a Bluetooth beacon that sticks on the windshield of your car, or a mobile app installed on your smartphone.

Can I save on firefighter auto insurance with minimum coverage requirements?

If you don’t make any payments on your vehicle, you can opt for the minimum auto insurance requirement known as liability car insurance. Under liability coverage, you will only have insurance that pays for damages where you’re at fault.

Under the minimum coverage, you’ll have the cheapest auto insurance from the company that has to offer.

Liability coverage varies by state. Some states only carry bodily injury and property damage liabilities, while others have personal injury protection, uninsured/underinsured, and medical payments attached to minimum auto insurance requirements.

How does being a firefighter affect your auto insurance rates?

Firefighters have an admirable and challenging job that sometimes gets some extra perks that are well deserved.

And, yes, your fire engine is probably already covered with Volunteer Firemen’s Insurance Services (VFIS) or a similar company. But you need something for when it’s time to drive home or take that well-earned vacation.

Your job can have an impact on your car insurance rates. We’ll go over how being a firefighter affects what you pay for auto insurance and more in this article.

Does your annual mileage affect your auto insurance rates as a firefighter?

If you drive a short distance to work, you will get a better rate than a lengthy drive. The way insurers see it: the farther you’re driving, the more likely something will happen that may result in an insurance claim.

You can see below that insurers change their rates based on this.

For these significant insurers, you’re looking at an increase of anywhere from $11 to $168.

Does your credit score affect your auto insurance rates as a firefighter?

Another tip for firefighters looking for auto insurance is to keep their credit score in good condition. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Insurance companies can look into your credit rating when determining your auto insurance rates.

If your credit rating is good, the insurer knows that it is less likely that you will fail to pay your premiums each month and that you will probably not let your policy lapse.

A good credit score makes you a lower risk to the insurance company.

What other factors do companies consider for your auto insurance rates as a firefighter?

Other than your commute length, there are other factors that the insurance companies will consider when issuing you a policy.

Some of the most relevant ones include the following:

Age and Marital Status – These demographics do determine your rate to some extent. Single men have more accidents than married men, so you may get a better rate if you are married.

Also, age matters when it comes to insurance. Young people (especially males) ages 18-24 have the most severe accidents.

This is a big one, especially if you’re with the wrong insurer for you. If you’re a 17-year-old male at Travelers, you can be paying more than five times as much as your 60-year-old female counterpart.

Current Driving Record – As with any auto insurance type, this factor is the most important no matter your age, situation, or occupation. Auto insurance companies check your driving record because if it’s clean, statistics show you will have fewer accidents.

Even one accident, DUI, or speeding ticket can raise your rates, and DUI’s raise them the most.

Current Policy Status – If you keep your insurance policy up to date, you will get better rates. You may see an increase in your policy if you have let your policy lapse, even once.

Liberty Mutual will penalize over 16 percent if you have a coverage lapse, while Nationwide Insurance is right behind them with a 13 percent spike.

Make/Model – One of the main items you are required to tell the insurance agent when considering a new policy is the make and model of your auto. This is because different cars cost more to insure.

Think about it. If you buy a 2019 Honda Civic — which retails for around $20,000 per Kelley Blue Book — that’s not going to cost the same amount to insure as the 2019 Rolls Royce Dawn, a car that is worth $351,650.

Pricewise, that’s 17 Honda Civics, so it doesn’t make sense to charge the same amount for insurance. That’s an extreme example, but the point is that it comes down to price.

What are the auto insurance rates for EMT vehicles?

In most cases, your emergency vehicle will be covered under the fire department’s insurance plan. The fire department’s insurance plan is usually purchased by the city and paid for through the fire department in the town in which it resides.

Fire department insurance that the department gets usually applies to all vehicles under the jurisdiction of the city fire department. So you usually do not have to worry about covering these vehicles.

But what if you drive your car to the scene?

For example, there are volunteer firefighters or other personnel who are not assigned a department vehicle. Under this situation, then you would need to get auto insurance coverage for any cars that you drive, whether you use them for emergency calls or not.

How do road traffic accidents involving emergency vehicles affect auto insurance?

Firefighters are in the no-fault category while on duty. So, are firefighters covered by insurance?

Like police officers, firefighters fall into the no-fault category for accidents at work if they are involved in an accident. When firefighters are on a call, they aren’t at fault for the accident in most cases.

If you exhibit safe driving procedures and follow the protocol for on-the-job emergency transportation, you should not have to worry about being accused of negligence on the job.

There may be exceptions if there is a cause to think that the driver was negligent, but this is the general rule to protect emergency workers. For instance, Michigan does not hold firefighters at fault for accidents that involved something in the line of duty.

The state’s move over law, similar to that in other states, also protects first responders by requiring drivers to move over when passing them on the side of the road. 

The same holds for other first responders, such as police officers. Some companies provide both law enforcement auto insurance discounts and lower rates for other first responders.

The Allstate law enforcement discount and EMT car insurance discount help first responders save extra money. The Progressive law enforcement discount, however, may not apply to firefighters.

This means that if you’re a first responder, quotes are an efficient way to parse through the multitude of insurance providers and hopefully find discounts to save you money.

How does negligent driving affect auto insurance rates for firefighters?

When it comes to negligence, firefighters are not immune in this regard if they overstepped their rights as an emergency responder or neglected to do what a reasonable person knows to do. 

This is a legal requirement for proving fault in such cases, so you should consult with an attorney or legal resource to get your questions answered regarding whether a specific situation could be considered negligent or not.

What other benefits are there for firefighters?

As a firefighter, whether full-time or volunteer, you’ll have a lot of benefits. Many companies offer a first responders discount as a way of saying thank you. Although you can save in a lot of ways, you may have more insurance questions and concerns.

What health insurance do firefighters get? That depends on where you work and whether or not you are full-time. Most volunteer firefighters have a regular full-time job through which they get their health insurance benefits.

Do volunteer firefighters get life insurance? Group life insurance is often offered as a workplace benefit. It may or may not be available to volunteers depending on the department,

Frequently Asked Questions – Auto Insurance for Firefighters

Read on to find answers to many frequently asked questions about auto insurance for firefighters.

#1 – Why do auto insurance companies ask about your occupation?

How does your job affect auto insurance? Everything insurance companies do comes down to risk. They’re in the money-making business, after all. So, if you have a job that’s considered high-risk, they’re going to charge you more.

It may not seem fair, but it’s all about numbers.

If you have a reasonably safe (i.e., a low-risk driver) occupation, you’re looking pretty good to them. In that case, you may be eligible for additional discounts. Firefighters may have high-risk jobs, but they’re usually pretty low-risk drivers.

Does law enforcement get discounts on car insurance? And is it the same discount offered to other first responders? They do get discounts on auto insurance for police officers, and we’ll talk more about that a little later in this article.

#2 – Should you tell your auto insurance company when you change jobs?

If you’ve just become a firefighter, or if you’ve recently shifted your duties elsewhere, you may be eligible for another discount. You have to update your information with your insurer, just like updating your location when you move.

If you don’t update your information, you risk your policy being invalidated if you make a claim.

#3 – How does your job affect your auto insurance?

Many EMT and emergency service personnel need better auto insurance. No one policy fits everybody. Many firefighters are eligible for IAFF auto and homeowners insurance for firefighters. Keep these things in mind as you shop and compare.

Remember also that there is a difference between insuring your vehicle and the vehicle you drive at work for emergencies.

The chances are that your fire chief has already taken care of the fire truck and other emergency vehicles that you use each day to do your job. Check with them first to see if this is the case.

#4 – What health insurance do firefighters get?

Are volunteer firefighters insured?

Insurance risk is based on the likelihood of injury or property damage, primarily. Firefighters may choose to get health and life insurance through their employer or through private policies, but it can be pricey.

The reason that life and health insurance companies view a firefighter’s job as high risk is that you are likely to face a life-or-death situation daily. So your life or health insurance could be costly.

Regarding your auto insurance, though, the premiums you pay would likely be related more to the amount of time that you use your vehicle on the job.

If you only use your vehicle on rare occasions, your rates may not be too different from anyone else’s.

We hope these tips and ideas will help firefighters to keep their insurance premiums low as they drive the highways of life.

Our hats are off to all firefighters and emergency responders. They have a challenging and honorable job keeping the rest of us safe from fires and disasters.

While there is no one type of insurance specifically for firefighters, some insurance companies provide discounts for firefighters and other EMTs in return for excellent service to their communities throughout their careers.

#5 – What is the firefighter career path?

A lot of kids grow up with the dream to become a firefighter.

A lot of them follow through and get that badge — the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts that number at over 300,000 in the United States alone—enabling them the opportunity to save lives and important memories. But what’s that path look like?

Each state sets its requirements for becoming a firefighter, so it’s best to check with your local firehouse if you’re trying to become a firefighter. Generally, the path follows a few commonalities:

1. Volunteer to help the fire department with whatever they need
2. Become CPR certified
3. Be physically fit
4. Get a degree in Fire Science, where you will learn how to extinguish fires using various methods, evacuate structures, treat victims, drive all required vehicles, maintain equipment, and participate in fire education
5. Pass all necessary exams, paper, and physical
6. Have a clean criminal record

The first step is to talk to a firefighter and go from there.

Auto Insurance for Firefighters: The Bottom Line

Check with various companies as you shop and compare costs, and discuss this with an agent. They may be able to point you to some good discounts that are available for firefighters.

Remember that many insurance companies reward firefighters for a job well done. So look for those companies when you shop for affordable auto insurance for firefighters.

Are you looking for volunteer firefighter discounts on car insurance?

Start comparison shopping for better firefighter discounts and volunteer firefighter discounts on auto insurance rates by entering your ZIP code below.

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07.10.2020 / auto insurance factors / auto insurance for firefighters / auto insurance rates