The Hartford Names Atlanta Among 100 Cities With Highest Home Fire Risk, Pledges Support

Company marks 70th anniversary of its Junior
Fire Marshal® program by providing educational materials to 19,000
Atlanta children and a $20,000 donation to Atlanta public school
district and fire department for fire prevention

HARTFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–According to The
Hartford’s Home Fire Index
, Atlanta, Ga. ranks No. 60 among the 100
U.S. cities with the highest home fire risk. 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 is donating a total of $20,000 to the Atlanta public school
district and fire department for fire safety education. The donation is
part of a larger commitment the company made to all the cities on The
Hartford’s Home Fire Index
.

In addition, to the monetary donation, The Hartford will also distribute
Junior Fire Marshal educational materials to more than 19,000 children
in kindergarten through third grade in the Atlanta public school
district. 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.

“At The Hartford, we have been committed to fire safety and prevention
for more than 200 years,” said Debora Raymond, spokesperson for The
Hartford’s Junior Fire Marshal program. “The goal of The Hartford’s
Junior Fire Marshal program is to build safer communities through fire
safety education by empowering everyday kids to become everyday heroes.”

In Atlanta, lightning, cooking and electrical fires are the leading
causes of home fires according to The Hartford’s claims data.³
Fifty-nine percent of home fires in Atlanta were caused by lightning, 14
percent by cooking followed by 10 percent by electrical fires.

Many Atlanta residents engage in behaviors that can increase the risk of
a home fire according to The Hartford survey. Charging a phone overnight
is considered moderate risk, yet charging a phone overnight on your bed,
leaving your kitchen with the stove on, or leaving a room with a candle
burning are considered high risk. The survey found:

  • 58 percent of Atlanta residents admitted they had charged a device
    (e.g., cell phone, tablet, laptop) in or on their bed overnight in the
    past year – compared with 34 percent nationally.
  • 57 percent said that in the past year, they have left the kitchen
    while cooking something on a stove – compared with 24 percent
    nationally.
  • 41 percent revealed that they have left a room with a candle lit at
    least once over the past year – compared with 37 percent nationally.

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.

1NFIRS 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.

2According to the National Fire Protection
Association

3Based on an analysis of The Hartford claims data
in the city of Atlanta between 2010 and 2016

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 2016 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.

From time to time, The Hartford may use its website to disseminate
material company information. Financial and other important information
regarding The Hartford is routinely accessible through and posted on our
website at https://ir.thehartford.com.
In addition, you may automatically receive email alerts and other
information about The Hartford when you enroll your email address by
visiting the “Email Alerts” section at https://ir.thehartford.com.

Contacts

The Hartford
Debora Raymond, 860-547-4611
debora.raymond@thehartford.com
or
Leon
Davis, 860-547-8668
leon.davis@thehartford.com

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