Munhall Volunteer Firefighter Wins $10,000 Firehouse Makeover

Munhall, Pennsylvania, November 8, 2013. . . The 100-plus-year old Munhall Volunteer Fire Company #1 firehouse will be getting more room to house firefighters soon. Volunteer firefighter Greg Kretz was the winning entry in California Casualty’s “Firehouse Makeover Contest.” The Munhall Volunteer Firehouse will be getting a $10,000 overhaul courtesy of California Casualty. The announcement was made Thursday evening during a staff meeting.

Kretz says he never, ever imagined he would win a contest like this. “The Chief hit the roof when he learned we had won.” Kretz, who gives about 15 hours a week to the department, tries to balance that with his full time job working as an financial analyst for a bank, refereeing basketball games and trying to maintain a family life with his wife, two cats and a bird. He’s been with the department for about two years.

The $10,000 Firehouse Makeover from California Casualty will allow the Munhall Company #1 to build more living space to house 4-to-6 people at any given time. “This will allow us to have more daytime staffing and attract new people to the department,” said Kretz. “You just don’t know how much California Casualty’s support really means to us. The Munhall area has been really hurting since the decline of the steel mills; we have been hurt tremendously. Being an all-volunteer department, we depend on grants and gifts to keep things running.”

Mike McCormick, Vice President of California Casualty says, “Improving firefighters’ lives is part of our commitment of protecting America’s heroes. They give so much to protect their communities and it makes us proud to give back to them.”

California Casualty provides auto and home insurance to the most valuable and dedicated members of our society, including nurses, educators, law enforcement personnel, and firefighters. The company is celebrating its 100th year in 2014. For more information about auto and home insurance tailored for firefighters, please visit http://www.calcas.com.

Entries for the next California Casualty “Firehouse Makeover” are now being taken. For details please visit the contest entry web page at http://www.FirehouseMakeover.com.

About California Casualty:

California Casualty is a 100-year-old policyholder-owned company headquartered in San Mateo, CA with service centers in Arizona, Colorado and Kansas. More information about their auto and home insurance for firefighters, peace officers, educators, and nurses can be found at http://www.calcas.com.

**For interviews or to view the makeover, contact Battalion Chief PJ Ostrowski, 412-606-1690. The fire station is located at 1300 Martha St., Munhall, PA.