FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Robertsville Volunteer Fire Co. 1 earns Life Safety Achievement Award
Robertsville Volunteer Fire Co. 1 was recently presented with a Life Safety Achievement Award for its fire prevention accomplishments in 2013 by the National Association of State Fire Marshals Fire Research and Education Foundation (NASFM Foundation) in partnership with Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company. The award was announced by Butch Browning, president of the NASFM Foundation.
"The heroic efforts of our local fire service aren’t limited to rushing into burning buildings to save families. They also present educational information to local schools and other community groups to make sure people know how to respond to fires and how to prevent them in the first place," said Alan Clark, assistant vice president of Special Investigations for Grinnell Mutual. “The Life Safety Achievement Award recognizes fire departments for their fire prevention programs that have been proven to save lives year after year.”
Since 1994, the Life Safety Achievement Award has recognized local fire prevention efforts that have contributed to reducing the number of lives lost in residential fires. Robertsville Volunteer Fire Co. 1 is one of 142 fire departments across the United States to receive the award this year for recording zero fire deaths in 2013 or reducing fire deaths by at least 10 percent during the year. In addition, award recipients documented active and effective fire prevention programs as well as a clear commitment to reducing the number of house fires in the community.
Although residential fires in the U.S. account for only 20 percent of all fires, they result in 80 percent of all fire deaths. The NASFM Foundation is committed to reducing that number.
"Experience tells us that fire prevention activity and public education can significantly reduce life and property loss from residential fires," Browning said. "Prevention and education are very cost effective compared to the traditional approach of relying on fire suppression. The Life Safety Achievement Award recognizes fire departments for their fire prevention efforts and encourages them to continually improve upon those efforts."
About NASFM Foundation
The NASFM Foundation is a public interest group whose mission is to reduce residential fire deaths and injuries. The Foundation advocates the use of residential fire sprinklers, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and teaching people fire-safe behavior. The Foundation assists fire departments with implementing residential sprinkler/smoke alarm programs on a local basis. The Foundation’s partners include the United States Fire Administration, the National Association of State Fire Marshals and private industry/associations with an interest in and commitment to residential fire safety.
About Grinnell Mutual
Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, in business since 1909, provides reinsurance for farm mutual insurance companies and property and casualty insurance products through more than 1,600 independent agents in 12 Midwestern states. Grinnell Mutual is the 120th largest property-casualty insurance company in the United States and the largest primary reinsurer of farm mutual companies in North America.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jim Narva, Executive Director
NASFM Fire Research and Education Foundation
Email: jnarva@narvaassociates.com
Website: www.firemarshals.org
-or-
Chief Keith Badler
Robertsville Volunteer Fire Co. 1
94 Route 520
Morganville, NJ 7751
Email: kbadler@robertsvillefire.org
The 2013 Life Safety Achievement award has been sponsored by a grant from the Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company
