Property & Casualty
Stations, apparatus, portable equipment, and the liability that comes with responding. Apparatus can be scheduled on an agreed value basis.
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Insurance For Those Who Protect Us
VFIS of Arkansas is a specialty division of The Burrows Agency, providing industry-leading insurance, training, and risk services for fire departments, EMS, rescue squads, and 911 centers across Arkansas.
Serving Emergency Services Since
Organizations Insured
Claims Managed for Emergency Services
Services We Offer
Six Programs. One Specialty
Every line is underwritten with emergency service organizations in mind. No retail templates. No gaps where it matters.
Who We Serve
Every Organization Here Has A Different Set Of Exposures
01
Fire Departments
Career and volunteer fire departments face risks no standard carrier fully understands. We tailor coverage and loss-control programs around apparatus, station operations, and the people who run into the fire.
02
EMS Agencies
Non-profit EMS operations serve as emergency services for emergency services. From ambulance fleets to patient-care liability, our programs are built around the realities of pre-hospital medicine.
03
Search And Rescue Squads
Water, swift-water, and technical rescue teams operate in high-consequence environments. We cover the specialized equipment, training exposures, and liability scenarios these missions create.
04
911 Centers
Dispatch and communications centers are the first link in every emergency. Our coverage addresses dispatcher liability, cyber exposure, and the unique stress and staffing risks of the comm floor.
05
Specialty Teams
Hazmat, technical response, and regional task forces carry exposures that fall between the cracks of generic policies. We build programs around the specific missions and mutual-aid agreements your team operates under.
06
Training Academies
Volunteer associations, regional academies, and live-fire training facilities have distinct liability profiles. We protect the instructors, recruits, and props that keep the next generation of responders ready.
Why VFIS of Arkansas
Departments Choose VFIS
There are reasons chiefs, directors, and boards all across the state choose VFIS of Arkansas and recommend us to their peers.
Every policy line is written for one kind of organization: fire, EMS, rescue, and 911. You are not explaining apparatus replacement cost or mutual-aid exposure to someone learning it on your renewal.
Our Easy Process
From First Call To Bound Coverage
Four steps, no surprises, and a plain-English comparison against whatever you carry now.
/01
Information Gathering
We conduct an in-person or telephone review of your apparatus list, portable equipment, roster, and property to gain a complete understanding of your department's needs.
/02
Carrier Submission
Drawing on 40 years of industry expertise, we prepare a comprehensive application on your behalf and submit it to VFIS to secure a coverage proposal.
/03
Presentation
We present the resulting program to you or your board, walking through your department's specific details and our evaluation of the coverage.
/04
Ongoing Partnership
Our relationship doesn't end at binding. Departments rely on us daily for resources and training, and should a claim arise, we're there to manage it on your behalf.
Training Program
Industry-Leading Training Where You Want It
Insurance is what we sell. Trust is what we build. VFIS departments get unlimited access to VFIS University, with 250+ accredited online courses on apparatus operation, scene safety, leadership, and risk, plus on-site instructor visits at your station, on your schedule.
Online Courses
Credit-Eligible
In-Person Instruction
To Your Department
Online Resources
Responders Trained Since 2002
Choose Your Path
Where Would You Like To Start?
Three ways in, we have the options you're looking for.
Our Products
Six coverage lines, designed to protect your property, vehicles, board and operational exposures.
ExploreMember Benefits
When you need a comprehensive employee benefits package for your first responders.
ExploreTraining & Resources
Emergency vehicle driver training, online courses, and on-site instructor visits, included for departments we insure.
ExploreVFIS vs. Other Companies
We Already Have Coverage With The Association. Why Switch To VFIS?
State and county programs are a baseline, not a strategy. Here's what changes the day you bring VFIS on board.
Option A
Association Insurance
Designed to be the bare minimum or to serve other groups.
- AccountabilityCan't be held accountable to the insurance commissioner
- Vehicle valuationDepreciated
- Average claim turnaroundMonths
- Volunteers’ Phones and Personal Item CoverageNone
- Volunteers’ Personally Owned VehiclesExcluded
- Free training program for your membersNone
- Coverage for stroke and heart attackExcluded
- Industry experts at the touch of a dialNone
Recommended
Option B
VFIS Of Arkansas
Designed specifically for emergency services. Built to work when you need it most.
- AccountabilityAccountable to the insurance commissioner
- Vehicle valuationNo depreciation
- Average claim turnaround24 hrs
- Volunteers’ Phones and Personal Item CoverageIncluded
- Volunteers’ Personally Owned VehiclesIncluded
- Free training program for your membersIn person and online
- Coverage for stroke and heart attackIncluded
- Industry experts at the touch of a dialAbsolutely
The Burrows Agency Insurance
Need Coverage Outside Emergency Services?
VFIS of Arkansas is one division of The Burrows Agency. The same team writes commercial, municipal, and specialty programs across Oklahoma and Arkansas.
From the Field
Hear From The People We Protect
“VFIS had a check cut in 72 hours and an instructor at our station the following week running an apparatus refresher. The state pool would still be opening the file.”
Chief D. Allen
County Fire Rescue, OK
“We've been with VFIS for eleven years. Every renewal they actually walk through our station, look at our rigs, and price us based on what we run — not some actuarial table that's never seen the inside of a firehouse.”
Captain M. Torres
Metro EMS Agency, AR
“When we had a line-of-duty death, the benefits were paid out before we even finished the paperwork. That's what you need from an insurance partner.”
Chief J. Hargrove
Volunteer Fire Department, OK
“Before VFIS, we were piecing together three different policies and still had gaps. Now everything runs through one program that actually knows what a wildland apparatus costs to replace.”
Chief R. Simmons
Rural Fire District, AR
“The VFIS University courses count toward our ISO rating. We saved eleven points last cycle. That's not a benefit — that's a business case.”
Captain L. Nguyen
Career Fire Department, OK
Education & Resources
Answers To The Questions That Come Up Between Renewals
Risk guidance, training notes, and coverage explanations written for chiefs and boards.
FAQs
Questions Services Ask Before They Switch
Clear answers about how VFIS operates and what your department gets.
VFIS wrote the first insurance policy designed specifically for emergency service organizations in 1969. The Burrows Agency serves as VFIS's Regional Director for Arkansas, giving you the strength of a national program backed by a local office with more than 40 years of experience and people ready to answer when you call.
Ready When You Are
Bring The Specialty Difference To Your Fire Department
We invite you to reach out whenever you're ready to discuss how VFIS of Arkansas can support your organization's insurance and training needs. We understand your time is valuable, and we appreciate the opportunity to earn your business.