The Hartford To Provide Grants To City of Greensboro For Fire Safety Education
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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 old1 -
The Hartford brings Junior Fire Marshal® program to the city and
donates a total of $20,000 to the school district and fire department
HARTFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–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 will donate
a combined total of $20,000 to the Greensboro public school district and
Greensboro fire department for fire safety education.
The donation is part of a larger commitment the company made last month
when it released The
Hartford’s Home Fire Index, which ranked Greensboro, N.C. No. 66
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)2 and a survey conducted by
The Hartford on fire safety and prevention behaviors among the general
population.
In addition to the monetary donations, the company will also provide
Junior Fire Marshal educational materials to all students in
kindergarten through third grade in the Greensboro 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.
“The Junior Fire Marshal program is part of The Hartford’s ongoing
commitment to help build safer communities,” said Debora Raymond,
spokesperson for The Hartford’s Junior Fire Marshal program. “We are
pleased to be able to bring this program to the city of Greensboro and
empower the next generation of children to take an active role in
reducing the fire risk in their homes.”
In Greensboro, lightning and cooking fires are the leading causes of
home fires according to The Hartford’s claims data.3 Fifty
percent of home fires in Greensboro were caused by lightning and 30
percent by electrical fires.
Many Greensboro 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:
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43 percent 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. -
67 percent said that in the past year, they have left the kitchen
while cooking something on a stove, compared with 58 percent
nationally. -
46 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 Hartford to Host Junior Fire Marshal Day at Wiley Elementary
School
The Hartford will host a hands-on fire safety day for students in grades
kindergarten through third in partnership with the Greensboro fire
department and Wiley Elementary School. This includes a simulated fire
and smoke demonstration in The Hartford Fire Safety House, an
opportunity to meet local firefighters, tour their fire truck and try on
gear. The event will take place at Wiley Elementary School on Tuesday,
April 18 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT.
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 According to the National Fire Protection
Association
2 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.
3 Based on an analysis of The Hartford claims data in the city of
Greensboro 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
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website at https://ir.thehartford.com.
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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
