VFIS

What VFIS does

VFIS, founded in 1969 in York, Pennsylvania, is a specialty insurance program manager focused exclusively on emergency service organizations (ESOs) in the United States and Canada. It operates as a division of Glatfelter Insurance Group, which is itself owned by American International Group (AIG), and is the largest provider of insurance, education, and consulting services for fire departments, ambulance and rescue squads, and 9-1-1 communication centers in North America, serving more than 30,000 organizations through a network of 3,000+ independent agents and brokers.

The company underwrites a vertically tailored portfolio built around Property & Casualty coverage, Accident & Sickness insurance (designed to fill Workers' Compensation gaps for responders), a Length of Service Awards Program (LOSAP) for volunteer firefighters, and specialty benefits such as Group Term Life, Cancer and Critical Illness, and Accidental Death and Dismemberment. Core technology assets include a proprietary online learning platform (VFIS University) with an Instructor Portal for certified trainers, a Producer Center broker portal for policy and claims inquiries, and a training-materials e-commerce store — together forming a content-and-credentialing ecosystem around the insurance product (EVDT alone has trained 65,000+ emergency vehicle operators, and 354,000+ responders have been trained through VFIS programs since 2002).

The business model combines recurring subscription-style insurance premiums (priced per quote, billed annually) with fee-bearing training services and unit-priced training materials, all distributed through independent agents and supported by Regional Directors in approximately ten named states and a Canadian affiliate (CVIS, Inc.) in Toronto. Commercial traction is reinforced by sub-1.2% lapse rates and 97%+ account retention over the past three years, and by a VCOS-VFIS Recruitment & Retention Award co-administered with the IAFC's Volunteer & Combination Officers Section.

Name

VFIS

Legal name

VFIS

Website

https://vfis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

VFIS, a York, Pennsylvania division of Glatfelter Insurance Group (owned by AIG), underwrites specialized Property & Casualty, Accident & Sickness, LOSAP, and specialty-benefits insurance for more than 30,000 fire, EMS, and 9-1-1 organizations across the US and Canada, distributing exclusively through 3,000+ independent agents backed by a proprietary training platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Insurance for Emergency Service Organizations

NAICS

Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds (5251), Health and Welfare Funds (525120), Other Insurance Funds (52519)

SIC

Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331), Accident & Health Insurance (6321)

akta.pro primary industry

Supplemental/Voluntary Group Term Life (Employee-Paid) (FSAIADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Directors & Officers (D&O) Liability (FSAJADAF)

Keywords

• Emergency services insurance
• Fire department coverage
• EMS responder insurance
• First responder training
• Accident sickness insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Property & Casualty Insurance: Core P&C insurance products covering facilities, vehicles, apparatus, portable equipment (turnout gear, hoses, thermal imaging cameras, radios, AEDs), and organization liability (general and management liability) for emergency service organizations.
2. Accident & Sickness (A&S) Insurance: Protection for responders covering service-related injuries, illnesses, and death, designed to fill gaps in Workers' Compensation plans. Protects firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and 911 dispatchers.
3. Length of Service Awards Program (LOSAP): Benefits program providing retirement-style compensation to volunteer responders as incentive for service, administered as part of comprehensive benefits offerings.
4. Training and Education Services: Train-the-trainer programs, instructor-level classes, online courses through VFIS University, and training materials (manuals, DVDs, USBs, posters) sold through VFIS Store.
5. Specialty Benefits: Custom coverages including Group Term Life, Cancer and Critical Illness, Accidental Death and Dismemberment for organizations that may not qualify for standard VFIS coverages, provided through sister program Glatfelter Specialty Benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

VFIS is a specialized insurance provider that underwrites Property & Casualty, Accident & Sickness, Group Term Life, Cancer + Critical Illness, and Length of Service Awards Program (LOSAP) coverages tailored to fire departments, EMS agencies, 911 dispatch centers, and other emergency service organizations. The company complements these insurance protections with a comprehensive training and education division delivering instructor-level and student-level courses (EVDT, EMSVO, Trailer Operations, UTV/ATV, Traffic Incident Management, Patient Handling, etc.) in person and through the VFIS University online learning platform.

Product overview

VFIS is a specialized insurance provider for emergency service organizations that offers a comprehensive portfolio of insurance products and training services. The core insurance offerings include Property & Casualty (P&C) coverage, Accident & Sickness (A&S) insurance, Group Term Life, Cancer + Critical Illness coverage, and Length of Service Awards Program (LOSAP). Complementing the insurance products is an extensive training and education division providing instructor-level and student-level courses through both in-person sessions and the VFIS University online platform. Training programs include Emergency Vehicle Driver Training (EVDT), EMS Vehicle Operations (EMSVO), Trailer Operations & Safety, Utility Vehicle Operations (UTV/ATV), Traffic Incident Management, Patient Care Documentation, Patient Handling, and Emergency Responder Safety. Training materials are also available through the VFIS Store, which offers manuals, USB programs, DVDs, and safety posters. The company serves fire departments, ambulance/rescue squads, 911 centers, and other emergency service organizations across North America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Property & Casualty (P&C) Insurance Insurance coverage for property and casualty risks faced by emergency service organizations, including facilities, vehicles, apparatus, and portable equipment such as turnout gear, hoses, thermal imaging cameras, radios, and AEDs. Targeted at fire departments, EMS agencies, and 911 centers.
• Accident & Sickness (A&S) Insurance Coverage that fills gaps in Workers' Compensation plans to protect emergency responders (firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, 911 dispatchers) and their families in the event of service-related injury, illness, or death.
• Group Term Life Insurance Life insurance product for emergency service organizations, provided through Glatfelter Specialty Benefits, designed to protect responders and their families.
• Cancer + Critical Illness Insurance Specialized coverage for cancer and critical illness risks faced by emergency responders, provided through Glatfelter Specialty Benefits for organizations that may not qualify for standard VFIS coverages.
• LOSAP (Length of Service Awards Program) Benefits program that provides retirement-style compensation awards to volunteer emergency responders based on their years of service, designed as a volunteer recruitment and retention incentive.
• Emergency Vehicle Driver Training (EVDT) Train-the-trainer program teaching instructional methodology for emergency vehicle operations. Covers fire and EMS divisions with content on alternative fuel vehicles, scene safety, UTVs/ATVs, CDL requirements, and spotter evaluation.
• Emergency Medical Services Vehicle Operations (EMSVO) Instructor-level class covering instructional methodology to deliver EMS driver training programs to ambulance and EMS personnel.
• Emergency Services Trailer Operations & Safety Program Train-the-trainer program teaching proper techniques and procedures for towing trailers in emergency services operations.
• Utility Vehicle Operations (UVO) / UTV/ATV Safety Program Safety training for utility terrain vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, and off-road vehicles used in fire and EMS operations.
• Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Training Instructor and student-level training for managing traffic incidents safely around emergency scenes.
• Patient Care Documentation Training Instructor-level training covering proper documentation of patient care contacts, including equipment use, provider safety, and bariatric patient considerations.
• Patient Handling Series / Preventing Patient Drops Training covering proper patient handling techniques to prevent patient drops and injuries during transport.
• VFIS University Online learning platform providing 24/7 access to continuing education courses for emergency services personnel, with certificates upon completion, course assignment capabilities, and progress monitoring for organizations.
• VFIS Store / Training Materials Online store offering training materials including participant manuals, USB programs, CD/DVDs, safety posters, and miscellaneous items for fire and EMS training; VFIS clients receive first copy free on most products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 97% account retention rate over three years, demonstrating strong customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Glatfelter Insurance GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVFIS is a division of Glatfelter Insurance Group, one of the largest insurance program managers in the US. Glatfelter markets property, casualty, life, accident and health insurance products and risk management services on both retail and wholesale specialty basis throughout the country. VFIS operates as the flagship division serving emergency service organizations.
• Volunteer & Combination Officers Section (VCOS) of IAFCflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual joint venture creating the VCOS-VFIS Recruitment & Retention Award, recognizing fire departments and EMS agencies that successfully achieve recruitment and retention goals. VFIS participates in various IAFC section activities and initiatives, contributing to industry advancement and professional development.
• Glatfelter HealthcareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister division of Glatfelter Insurance Group providing insurance protections for healthcare providers. Cross-referenced on VFIS website as related program for organizations needing additional coverage options.
• Glatfelter Ministry CareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister division providing insurance for religious organizations and ministries. Cross-referenced as related program for organizations needing additional coverage options beyond emergency services focus.
• Glatfelter Public EntitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister division insuring municipal entities and police departments. VFIS cross-refers clients needing coverage for municipal ESOs and police departments to this program.
• Glatfelter Specialty BenefitsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister division providing custom coverages including Group Term Life, Cancer and Critical Illness, Accidental Death and Dismemberment for organizations that may not qualify for standard VFIS coverages. Referenced for specialty product needs.
• CVIS, Inc. (VFIS of Canada)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian affiliate office operating as CVIS, Inc., providing VFIS insurance products and services to emergency service organizations throughout Canada. Located in Toronto, Ontario with dedicated Canadian contact information.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Philadelphia Insurance Companies: A top-tier specialty P&C program manager (a Tokio Marine company) with a deep public-entity and public-safety practice; directly overlaps with VFIS on ambulance, fire, and 911 center insurance, and uses a similar independent-agent/wholesale distribution model.
• K&K Insurance Group: A specialty program administrator (a Kemper company) that, like VFIS, builds insurance and risk-management products for niche professional and community markets through an agent/broker channel, with analogous mission-driven customer segments.
• National Interstate Insurance Company: Specialty commercial-vehicle and emergency-vehicle insurer built around fleet/apparatus coverage, directly comparable to VFIS's apparatus, portable equipment, and emergency-vehicle driver training offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Markel Corporation: A specialty-insurance holding company whose program-management and niche-segment underwriting mirror VFIS's broker-distributed, deep-domain model across multiple community and commercial verticals.
• Liberty Mutual Insurance: Large US P&C carrier with dedicated public-entity and specialty/safety unit that overlaps with VFIS on municipal and emergency-services risks while serving a much broader portfolio.
• Travelers Companies: Major US P&C carrier with a public-sector unit that competes broadly with VFIS for fire/EMS/municipal accounts via independent agents, though it is not specialized exclusively to emergency services.
• Hanover Insurance Group: Specialty P&C underwriter with a strong middle-market and program-business tilt; serves niches through independent agents in a distribution model and product-suite mix closely analogous to VFIS's.
• Cincinnati Financial: Specialty P&C group whose standard-market independent-agent model and selectively underwritten commercial niche accounts position it as a broad-incumbent comparator to VFIS's agent-distributed specialty book.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/aig
• Facebookfacebook.com/VFISInsurance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vfis
• Xx.com/VFIS

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VFIS