Gary Sinise Hosts Documentary Premiering on The History Channel(R) From Academy(R) and Emmy(R) Award Winner Bill Couturie

Gary Sinise Hosts Documentary Premiering on The History Channel(R) From Academy(R) and Emmy(R) Award Winner Bill Couturie

Film Features Firefighters From Across America Sharing Revealing and Inspiring True Stories of Heroism and Heartbreak

INTO THE FIRE

Premieres Friday, October 13 at 8:00pm ET/PT

NEW YORK, Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- From big city engine companies to small-town volunteer fire departments, thousands of firefighters across America risk their lives each day to protect our homes and families. INTO THE FIRE captures the terror, exhilaration, heartbreak and joy of the self-proclaimed "ordinary people" who have chosen this difficult and dangerous career, even as budget cuts and domestic terrorism add to the challenges of the job. Hosted by actor Gary Sinise, INTO THE FIRE premieres October 13, 2006 at 8:00pm ET/PT on The History Channel(R). The film will also air on October 22, 2006 at 4:00pm ET/PT.

Along with intimate interviews with a dozen career and volunteer firefighters, Oscar(R) winning filmmaker Bill Couturie intersperses spectacular archival disaster footage, news reports, reenactments and even vintage animation to paint a vivid picture of the firefighting life. The music of Dire Straits, Talking Heads and others who lent their support to the project by granting permission to use their music on the soundtrack underscores the poignant and sometimes harrowing accounts of those interviewed.

INTO THE FIRE allows real-life firefighters from around the country to describe the daily trials and triumphs of their profession, from daring urban rescues to deadly battles with massive forest fires. The 90-minute film also offers a rare glimpse inside fire station camaraderie, detailing the humor and fierce loyalty shared by the men and women who routinely entrust their lives to one another. At the same time, the film makes the point that despite some advances in technology -- such as thermal imaging cameras that can quickly locate survivors in a burning room -- putting out fires still comes down to human beings venturing into potentially lethal situations armed with nothing but a water hose. Unfortunately, despite the peril and the critical nature of their mission, fire departments are often asked to function with less than optimal resources. INTO THE FIRE points out that many fire departments cannot afford the $10,000 needed to purchase technology like thermal imaging cameras.

Despite differences of location, ethnicity, gender and age, all of the interviewees share a passion for helping people and an almost addictive desire to be on the frontlines of disaster. But while many recount with awe the thrill of saving a life, just as many are haunted by the victims they were unable to rescue or the colleagues they lost to heat and smoke. Among the film's unforgettable participants are:

* Tomi, an African-American female firefighter in Washington, D.C., who
recalls responding to the blazing inferno of jet fuel at the Pentagon
on September 11, 2001.

* Mike, a volunteer firefighter from tiny New Auburn, Wis., who speaks
eloquently about the foibles of responding to emergencies in a small
Midwestern community from putting out his neighbors' fires to
retrieving their cats from trees.

* Bryan, a Los Angeles firefighter and ex high school football star, was
a member of the fire and rescue team responding to the Northridge
earthquake of 1994, the most costly earthquake in U.S. history.

* Gerry, a San Francisco firefighter who describes a perilous race
against time to rescue a woman trapped in a collapsed building
following the 1989 Bay Area earthquake.

INTO THE FIRE was conceived and financed by Fireman's Fund Insurance Company to raise the nation's consciousness about challenges faced by firefighters. The film is an extension of the company's social mission to support firefighters for safer communities. "Today's firefighters are doing an increasingly difficult job with fewer and fewer resources," said Darryl Siry, chief marketing officer for Fireman's Fund(R). "We produced this film as a way to build more appreciation for the critical work these brave men and women perform for all of us." Funds raised through screenings of the film will benefit firefighters and fire service organizations nationwide in association with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

"Firefighters deserve our utmost respect and admiration and we are thrilled to partner with Fireman's Fund in bringing its social mission to the forefront," commented Michael Mohamad, senior vice president of marketing for The History Channel. "Bill Couturie is an award-winning director with a proven track record of producing informative and compelling documentaries."

"It's almost a cliche to say that firefighters are America's heroes, especially since 9/11," added director Bill Couturie. "But it's easy to forget that firefighters are everyday people from diverse backgrounds with a wide range of personalities and emotions. Making this movie was a wonderful opportunity to introduce viewers to a few of these amazing people, who spend their days battling one of nature's most destructive forces to keep the rest of us safe."

Couturie is an award-winning writer, director and producer whose credits include documentaries, feature films, television commercials, an animated children's movie and a television mini-series. He is best known for his documentary films such as the Academy Award(R)-winning "Common Threads: Stories From the Quilt," the Oscar-nominated "Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers" and "Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam," for which he received two Emmy Awards and the Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize. His other projects include "Last Letters Home: Voices of American Troops from the Battlefields of Iraq," "Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks" and the Emmy-winning "Earth and the American Dream." Most recently, Couturie produced and directed HBO's "Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs and Blockbusters," which was an official selection of the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.

Fireman's Fund Insurance Company is a premier property and casualty insurance company providing personal, commercial and specialty insurance products nationwide. Founded in 1863 with a mission to support firefighters, Fireman's Fund continues this mission today through the Fireman's Fund Heritage program. Fireman's Fund employees and independent agents award grants and provide volunteer support to local fire departments, national fire service and fire and burn prevention organizations across the country. Fireman's Fund is a member of the Allianz Group (NYSE:AZ), one of the world's largest providers of insurance and other financial services. For more information, visit www.firemansfund.com.

The History Channel(R) is one of the leading cable television networks featuring compelling original, non-fiction specials and series that bring history to life in a powerful and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. The network provides an inviting place where people experience history in new and exciting ways enabling them to connect their lives today to the great lives and events of the past that provide a blueprint for the future. The History Channel has earned three Peabody Awards, three Primetime Emmy(R) Awards, ten News and Documentary Emmy(R) Awards and received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's Save Our History(R) campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. The History Channel reaches more than 90 million Nielsen subscribers. The website is located at www.History.com.

Press Only: For more information and photography please visit us on the web at www.historychannelpress.com.

Source: The History Channel

CONTACT: Joshua Gross, +1-212-210-9184, joshua.gross@aetn.com, for The
History Channel; or Maxine Enciso of Ketchum, +1-310-584-8303,
maxine.enciso@ketchum.com, for Fireman's Fund

Web site: http://www.history.com/
http://www.firemansfund.com/

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