Liberty Mutual Awards $100,000 to Fire Departments in the Nation's Most 'Fire Smart' Communities

BOSTON, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The past years' economic constraints have left many communities across the nation grappling with ways to provide vital services while reducing budgets.  A key example is fire rescue and prevention, with less than a quarter of fire departments operating with sufficient budgets, according to a 2008 National Fire Protection Association survey.  But 10 cities and towns across the U.S. are being rewarded with $10,000 grants from Liberty Mutual Insurance to their local fire departments thanks to their residents' initiative in proving their fire-safety know-how.

Nearly 30,000 Americans over a two-month period from October 21 to December 21 participated in an online fire safety pledge program at www.BeFireSmart.com , and the fire departments with the largest number of people demonstrating this commitment to fire education on their behalf are:

Large communities (more than 100,000 residents)

• Oklahoma City Fire Department
• Cincinnati Fire Department

Midsize communities

• Ashburn (Va.) Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department
• Bay City (Mich.) Fire Department
• Carmel (Ind.) Fire Department
• Quincy (Mass.) Fire Department
• Weymouth (Mass.) Fire Department
• Westfield (Ind.) Fire Department

Small communities (less than 10,000 residents)

• Crescent Springs-Villa Hills (Ky.) Fire and EMS
• Upton (Mass.) Fire Department

"Whether it's for new equipment, protective clothing, or spearheading public fire-safety education campaigns, most of our fire departments are in need of additional resources to preserve the invaluable services they provide to our communities," said Greg Gordon, senior vice president of Consumer Marketing at Liberty Mutual.  "Equally important, nearly 30,000 people are now equipped with knowledge that they can use to protect their families and their homes from fires."

About BeFireSmart.com

There are vast resources for parents at www.BeFireSmart.com to help them prepare their families about fire safety and to prevent home fires from occurring.  The site includes games, instructional videos, interactive fire safety quizzes and a tool to build your own fire escape plan.  The fast and fun kids section also features a downloadable coloring book that tells a story about the importance of never hiding from a firefighter during a fire.  The site also offers classroom lesson plans for teachers, and resources for firefighters.

About Liberty Mutual Group

"Helping people live safer, more secure lives" since 1912, Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group (Libertymutualgroup.com) is a diversified global insurer and fifth-largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2008 direct written premium.  Liberty Mutual Group ranks 86th on the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. corporations, based on 2008 revenue.  The company has over 45,000 employees located in more than 900 offices throughout the world.

The eighth-largest auto and home insurer in the U.S., Liberty Mutual (libertymutual.com) sells full lines of coverage for automobile, homeowners, valuable possessions, personal liability, and individual life insurance.  The company is an industry leader in affinity partnerships, offering car and home insurance to employees and members of more than 12,000 companies, credit unions, professional associations and alumni groups.

SOURCE Liberty Mutual Group