The Hartford Home Fire Index Identifies 100 U.S. Cities With Highest Fire Risk
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Company marks 70th anniversary of its
Junior Fire Marshal® program with $2 million donation and commitment
to educate 1.5 million children about fire prevention and safety in
the 100 cities -
Since 1947, more than 110 million children deputized as Junior Fire
Marshals; such notable people as Ron Howard, Dick Van Dyke and Ronald
Reagan helped to recognize children who participated in the program
HARTFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The
Hartford released its ranking of the 100 U.S. cities with the
highest home fire risk. According to The
Hartford Home Fire Index, the top five cities are: Detroit, Mich.;
Shreveport, La.; Boston, Mass.; Flint, Mich. and Richmond, Va. A
complete list of the 100 U.S. cities can be found at www.thehartford.com/jfm.
The Index is based on an analysis of the U.S. Fire Administration’s
National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS)1 and a survey
conducted by The Hartford on fire safety and prevention behaviors among
the general population.
A home fire is reported in the U.S. every 86 seconds and 33 percent of
home fires are started by children 6-9 years old.2 As part of
the 70th anniversary of The Hartford’s Junior Fire Marshal
program, which is one of the country’s oldest corporate-sponsored public
education programs, The Hartford has committed to donate a total of $2
million to local school districts and fire departments for fire safety
education. In addition, the company will provide educational materials
to 1.5 million children in kindergarten through third grade. The funding
and resources will go to the 100 U.S. cities identified in The
Hartford’s Home Fire Index.
“Since The Hartford’s beginning as a fire insurance company more than
200 years ago, we have been committed to fire prevention and safety,”
said The Hartford’s Chairman and CEO Christopher Swift. “We are proud of
our heritage and the legacy of the Junior Fire Marshal program, but
there is still more we can do to help build safer communities. Home
fires continue to be an issue today. Our goal is to empower everyday
kids to become everyday heroes by providing them with the tools and
training to reduce fire risk in their homes and be safe.”
2017-2019 Junior Fire Marshal Program
Over the next three
years, The Hartford is making a $2 million donation and commitment to
the following:
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Donate $10,000 — to the public school district in each of the 100
cities to support ongoing fire safety education for a total of $1
million. -
Donate $10,000 — to local fire departments in each of the 100 cities
to support ongoing fire safety education for a total of $1 million. -
Provide educational materials to 1.5 million children in kindergarten
through third grade in each of the public schools in the 100 cities.
The Hartford Junior Fire Marshal classroom kit comes with The
Hartford’s signature red fire helmets, an educator and parent guide
and coloring posters designed to introduce fire safety concepts to
children.
In addition to this pledge and financial commitment, The Hartford has
created a mobile fire safety house that will visit schools in select
cities across the U.S. to immerse students in fire safety demonstrations
using state-of-the-art technology that simulates various home fire
situations.
The History of the Junior Fire Marshal Program
The Junior
Fire Marshal program was started in 1947 by an employee of The Hartford.
Since the program’s inception, The Hartford has deputized more than 110
million Junior Fire Marshals.
The company’s signature red fire helmets have been displayed proudly by
generations of children who have learned the basics of fire safety
through this innovative and educational program. The program teaches
lifesaving lessons such as Stop, Drop and Roll, Go Low in Smoke and Draw
a Home Fire Escape Plan. These lessons, along with other fun, engaging
and educational activities, help parents and teachers have meaningful
and vital fire safety conversations with children and students.
Over the years, celebrities such as Ron Howard, Dick Van Dyke, Jack
Benny, Jimmy Dean, Mr. Green Jeans and Captain Kangaroo, Carol Channing,
Red Skelton, Johnny Carson, Robert Young, Henry “the Fonz” Winkler and
Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan have helped The Hartford
recognize children who participated in the Junior Fire Marshal program.
For more information about The Hartford’s Home Fire Index and Junior
Fire Marshal Program, visit www.thehartford.com/jfm.
1 NFIRS is a voluntary reporting system run by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency based on data submitted by fire
departments from around the country. The data was standardized based on
population size and adjusted as needed to reflect the voluntary nature
of the data within the system.
2 According to the National Fire Protection
Association
About The Hartford Home Fire Index
The Hartford Home Fire
Index is based on a study of the largest U.S. cities with a minimum of
80,000 housing units as reported by the 2010 U.S. Census. The Hartford
calculated a rate of residential fires using the number of residential
structure fires from the 2014 National Fire Incident Reporting System
(NFIRS) data, dividing by 2010 U.S. Census housing units. The Hartford
also conducted a survey on fire safety and prevention behaviors among
the general population in late 2016 and in early 2017. Survey
respondents (approximately 100 per city) were given a score based on
adoption of fire safety best practices. Standardized fire rates and
survey scores were averaged to produce a composite score for each city.
About The Hartford
The Hartford is a leader in property and
casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. With more than 200
years of expertise, The Hartford is widely recognized for its service
excellence, sustainability practices, trust and integrity. More
information on the company and its financial performance is available at https://www.thehartford.com.
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheHartford_PR.
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG) operates
through its subsidiaries under the brand name, The Hartford, and is
headquartered in Hartford, Conn. For additional details, please read The
Hartford’s legal notice.
HIG-C
Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking
statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not
guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ
materially. Investors should consider the important risks and
uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important
risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our 2015 Annual
Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-Q, and the
other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We
assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date
issued.
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Contacts
The Hartford
Debora Raymond, 860-547-4611
debora.raymond@thehartford.com
or
Leon
Davis, 860-547-8668
leon.davis@thehartford.com
